Horse racing: Ambion Wood one for the future

Perth’s three-day Festival meeting begins this afternoon and Victor Dartnall’s Ambion Wood is the class act on show in the EBF “Future Champions” “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

Just beaten in a Grade Two at Warwick by the classy Cotton Mill, he got stuck in the mud behind Lucinda Russell’s Cheltenham Festival hero Brindisi Breeze at Haydock but, back on a sounder surface, he won a big race at Sandown last time out.

If this were a handicap he would be giving away lumps of weight but the conditions of this contest suit him very much.

Meanwhile, at Punchestown yesterday, Sizing Europe had a richly deserved win in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase.

Following superb performances in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and in the Tied Cottage Chase, Henry de Bromhead’s superstar was sent off the odds-on favourite to defend his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at the Cheltenham Festival. But as he and Finian’s Rainbow raced up to the hill, confusion reigned over whether the final fence had been dolled off, costing the defending champion valuable momentum as he swerved the obstacle at the last minute.

Subsequent Aintree winner Finian’s Rainbow eventually took the spoils but compensation awaited for Sizing Europe as he showed guts to go with his undoubted class to emerge victorious in his homeland.

The 8-13 favourite tracked pacesetter China Rock for the much of the two-mile trip and jumped into the lead four fences out. Realt Dubh stuck with him all the way up the home straight, but Sizing Europe would not be denied, plugging on tenaciously for Andrew Lynch to score by two and a quarter lengths.

“I’m not even looking back [at Cheltenham], I’m savouring today,” said De Bromhead. “It’s amazing, all of us at home put a lot of hard work into it.”

• Most Improved is still lame and will therefore miss the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday week. Brian Meehan’s charge had been a leading fancy for the first Classic of the season over the Rowley Mile and was due to make his seasonal debut in the Craven Stakes over the course and distance last week. However, the last year’s Dewhurst Stakes third was withdrawn from the Group 3 contest on the morning of Thursday’s race, and will now also miss the Guineas.