Reigning Champion Chase winner and Irish Cartier Horse of the Year; Big Zeb, lost his first race in over 14 months at the weekend, when going down by ½ length to Golden Silver in the Grade 2 Boylesports.com Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestowns Sunday. Big Zeb went off 4/6 favourite, and also 5/2 ante post favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The defeat has led to Big Zeb being deposed at the head of the Market by the 2008 and 2009 champion Master Minded, who has looked at this brilliant best, and is three from three already this season, including winning Grade 1 races the Victor Chandler chase, and even more impressively, the rescheduled Tingle Creek by an impressive 8 lengths.
However there is reason to stay loyal in the Big Zeb camp, and the loss on Sunday was hardly a trouncing, and the horses jumping looked at his impeccable best, which ironically could have been the reason behind him losing the race.
Big Zeb's trainer Colm Murphy said: "He probably jumped too well to get there when he did."
I'm a little disappointed but he flew the third- and fourth-last and he was possibly in front too soon. There was always going to be a day like that and today was the day. Anyway, we learned plenty and he seems to be OK after it. "The plan remains the same [to go to
The horse travelled and jumped so well that it was hard for jockey Barry Geraghty to restrain him, which led to the horse taking the lead 3 out, whereas the horse and jockey usually opt to have very substantial waiting tactics, to be in the lead as late as possible. The horse looked to have made it his fifth win on the bounce when going 3 lengths clear 2 fences from home. However when in front, the horse idled, and at the last fence, it allowed Golden Silver to steal the initiative and get first run on the approach to the winning line under an excellent ride from the Paul Townend, a man at the top of his game, riding at a current strike rate of 30% since the turn of the year.
irrespective of Golden Silver getting the upper hand over Big Zeb on Sunday, it has to be remembered that Big Zeb had won the previous 4 altercations at a combined total of 45 lengths, including 35 lengths defeat at the infamous Prestbury Park track, that is notoriously the true test of a national hunt horse, and the fact that Big Zeb has already shown his ability to hack up the Cheltenham hill, should provide his followers with more hearty optimism heading towards March. The horse has also won on good, soft and heavy ground, so there will be no need for a rain dance come March 16th, unlike some other ground dependant horses, and although the weather may be predictable, it can be relatively easy to predict that this years sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase, should be an absolute treat!
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