Positive tactics for Europe

Henry de Bromhead feels positive tactics could strengthen Sizing Europe's chances of success in the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Last season's Arkle hero is likely to adopt a prominent berth in the two-mile championship at the Cheltenham Festival, having earlier this season been ridden with much more restraint over longer distances.

De Bromhead said: "He's really coming into himself.

"He's just starting to really come into form, but we haven't had as good a run-up as we had before he won the Arkle last year.

"He loves that (being prominent). He loves that pace. The faster we go in the first mile, the better for him - he could have them all off the bridle coming down the hill like he did in the Arkle.

"This year he has jumped a lot more deliberately, but we feel that was because he was going at a quite slower pace.

"But if you school him at home, and at speed, he just wings the fences."