Sunday Irish Preview: Tied Cottage Chase Day

The Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase has been won by Champion Chase winners Moscow Flyer (2003 and 2005), Big Zeb (2010) and Sizing Europe (2012 and 2013) since its inception in 1999. Sizing Europe went off at just 8/1-on when beating four inferior rivals without coming out of second gear in 2013 and owners Ann and Alan Potts are seeking a third victory with the Mouse Morris-trained Smashing here. Smashing showed himself to be a very smart chaser when winning the Red Mills Chase last season, and that form would have been good enough to make him competitive in many a recent renewal of this race. 

However, in the shape of Douvan, Smashing faces a rival that could conceivably go off at even shorter odds than Sizing Europe did four years ago, and is fancied to take this in similarly dominant fashion en route to the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. Douvan was a top-class novice hurdler and took his unbeaten record over the larger obstacles to eight wins from eight starts in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Cashcard Chase at Leopardstown last time. The emphasis will be on a clear round here with his principal target at the Festival now less than six weeks away, but Douvan has already established himself as the best National Hunt horse in training on Timeform ratings and - to put the size of the task his three rivals face into some context - he is 27 lb clear of Smashing on our weight-adjusted figures, with Realt Mor and Draycott Place a further 9 lb and 11 lb adrift, respectively.

The Grand National Trial Handicap Chase represents a far more attractive betting proposition and 2016 winner Bonny Kate is arguably the most interesting runner as she attempts to repeat her heroics of 12 months ago. She ran her usual sound race when third on her most recent outing in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park and certainly showed enough to suggest she is up to winning from this mark. Indeed, she is 1 lb clear of Sambremont on ratings and should be thereabouts in conditions that clearly suit. Sambremont has failed to complete in his two starts this season, but wasn't seen to best effect when pulled-up in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last time and he looks potentially well-treated if bouncing back to the form he showed when winning the Grade 2 Flyingbolt Novices' Chase at Fairyhouse last season. Recent course-winner Canaly and As de Pique are others to note in a wide-open race.

Cilaos Emery will be popular for the listed I.N.H Stallion Owners E.B.F. Novices' Hurdle. He looked a useful prospect when making a successful hurdling debut at Navan in December, travelling strongly on the front end and finding plenty to forge six lengths clear of Joey Sasa in the closing stages. That form is working out well (runner-up won his next start and was third in a Grade 2 last time) and Cilaos Emery holds entries in all the top novice events at the Cheltenham Festival. He should prove extremely difficult to beat this weekend, with Mick Jazz and Montana Belle feared most of the remainder. The former produced a career-best when second in a Grade 3 at Navan in November and is 6 lb clear on our weight-adjusted ratings, while Montana Belle had a pair of subsequent winners behind when shedding his maiden tag at Fairyhouse last month.