Henry sizing up his Champion Hurdle chances

The Irish trainer's Sizing Europe, a best-priced 8-1 for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle in March, is 5-2 market leader for the AIG Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown this weekend where he will face a maximum of seven rivals.

His two biggest threats, Straw Bear and Harchibald, the first two in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, will miss the race, their trainer's put off by the heavy conditions.

De Bromhead is also concerned about conditions for his six-year-old, who came to prominence when he beat Osana in the valuable Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham in November.

The runner-up's subsequent eight-length win from Katchit in the boylesports.com International Hurdle four weeks later made the run look even better.

De Bromhead, 35, trains in Co Waterford but learned his craft in Britain under Robert Alner and Sir Mark Prescott.

In 2000, he took over from his father Harry, who trained Fissure Seal to win the American Express Gold Card Hurdle Final at the 1993 Cheltenham Festival before going on to victory in the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown the same year.

Henry said: 'I know Sizing Europe won on heavy ground at Cheltenham but that was autumn heavy whereas at Leopardstown it will be winter heavy and I am a little concerned.

'We had to miss the Christmas Hurdle with him because he didn't scope great. With the rest of the season in mind we decided to wait for the AIG. We still haven't booked a jockey for him as we are waiting on one or two people.

Timmy Murphy (who rode him at Cheltenham) seems committed to Al Eile so we'll see.'

De Bromhead's early career brought him into contact with a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.

He added: 'I had a great year at Robert's in 1994 and used to ride Cool Dawn (the 1997 Gold Cup winner) before he went point-topointing. I couldn't believe how good he was to take me round the gallops as I was quite heavy.

'I went to back him at his first point (ridden by owner Dido Harding) and he misbehaved in the paddock and tried to run away with Dido so I left him alone. A friend I had taken with me missed the preliminaries and in his ignorance won a fortune on him as he won by half the track.

'After a year with Robert I came back to Ireland to assist someone with a few horses before returning to England as Sir Mark's assistant for a couple of years. I also spent some time at the Coolmore Stud.'

Sizing Europe, together with 11 other inmates at the 40-horse stable, is owned by Yorkshire businessman Alan Potts.

He has five different Sizings, which include America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Sizing Asia, a brother of the 2000 Irish Champion hurdler, Grimes, could be the best but is currently sidelined after a wind operation.

Among Sizing Europe's potential opponents on Sunday are champion hurdler Sublimity, Hardy Eustace, a previous winner and dual Champion hurdler, plus Al Eile, Aitmatov, Silent Oscar, Louanos and Ebaziyan.

Trainer John Carr is adamant that Sublimity, who was beaten 18 lengths by Osana when fourth in the boylesports at Cheltenham, is in better shape now despite the fact that he, too, will find the going at Leopardstown testing enough. He will again be partnered by Philip Carberry.

■ THE result of the BHA's disciplinary inquiry into Warwick's management of their controversially abandoned meeting in September, is expected today.