Big Zeb set for Punchestown Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Big Zeb will be aimed at next month's Punchestown Festival. The nine-year-old was a brilliant winner at Cheltenham and will bid to follow up in the Boylesports Champion Chase on April 20, a race in which he was beaten just a head by Master Minded last year. Immediately after Cheltenham trainer Colm Murphy was in no rush to commit him to Punchestown, but he has been pleased with him since. "We're coming back down to earth again now but it was an absolutely fabulous day," Murphy told At The Races. "He's come out of it in good form and I'm delighted with him, so the plan is for him to go back to Punchestown. We'll just freshen him up and we're lucky he doesn't take much work, so Punchestown is definitely the next plan." Murphy's classy mare Voler La Vedette is set to be pitched in against the boys in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle. The six-year-old was far from disgraced in finishing third behind Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the trainer feels the drop back in trip to two miles will suit on April 23. "We were delighted with her considering how free she was and she never settled in the race at all," he said. "We'll probably drop her back to two miles now and run her in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, which I think will suit her better. They'll be going that stride quicker, so hopefully she'll settle a bit better."
