Sizing Europe (24 March 2002) is an Irish National Hunt horse, best known for winning the 2011 Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
He then finished behind De Valira in two Grade 2 novice hurdles at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse, before beating future Champion Chase winner Big Zeb in a race at Punchestown.
[5] In the Champion Hurdle, Sizing Europe travelled well and seemed poised to challenge in the homestraight before weakening rapidly and being virtually pulled up by jockey Andrew McNamara.
[10] Despite the result of the Bord Na Mona Novice Chase, Captain Cee Bee was sent off the 5/2 favourite in the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham, with Sizing Europe rated a 6/1 shot.
Sizing Europe ended his season by taking on more experienced chasers in the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Chase, where he finished third behind Golden Silver and 2009 Arkle winner Forpadydeplasterer.
Tracking the leader throughout, Sizing Europe jumped to the front at the seventh fence and finished strongly to beat Big Zeb by five lengths.
He then tackled the JNwine.com Champion Chase for the second year in a row, but, on very soft ground, his stamina gave out in the final furlong and he was passed by the staying on Quito De La Roque.
His jockey Richard Johnson was still lying prone by the time the field had races round the course, so officials made the decision to bypass the fence.
However, the signs were unclear, so Andrew Lynch on Sizing Europe and Barry Geraghty on Finian's Rainbow were unsure of whether to jump it or not until very close to the fence.
Both horses had to change course sharply, and some onlookers felt that Sizing Europe lost the most momentum, although Finian's Rainbow proved the result was no fluke with a win in the Grade 1 Melling Chase a few weeks later.
Returning to Ireland, Sizing Europe won the Punchestown Champion Chase at the third attempt, holding off Grade 1 winner Realt Dubh by 2.25 lengths.
[20] Sizing Europe dropped back to two miles for the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
[23] On 11 March, Henry De Bromhead confirmed that Sizing Europe would face Sprinter Sacre in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
[24] At the Cheltenham Festival, Sizing Europe finished second to the undefeated chaser Sprinter Sacre in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
[26] Sizing Europe made his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Gowran Park Champion Chase, which he won for the third consecutive year, beating Arkle runner up Bailey Green by a length and a quarter.
Sizing Europe ended his season in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown on 29 April when he started 7/1 third choice in the betting behind Hidden Cyclone and Somersby.
[30] Once again, Sizing Europe began his season in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park in October and started 9/4 second favourite behind the Galway Plate winner Road To Riches, to whom he was conceding four pounds.
Ridden for the first time by Jonathan Burke, he raced just behind the leaders for most of the way before staying on strongly in the closing stages, overtaking Road To Riches in the final strides and winning by a head.
Sizing Europe ran in the Queen Mother Champion Chase for the fifth time on 11 March 2015, for which his opponents included Sprinter Sacre and Sire de Grugy.