Evergreen veteran Sizing Europe brought the house down when getting up in the final strides to win the PWC Champion Chase for the fourth year running at Gowran.

Galway Plate scorer Road To Riches looked to have the legs on his 12-year-old rival when he set sail for home fully six fences from home, taking over from Dazzling Susie.

However, Henry de Bromhead's stable stalwart steadily closed the gap in the hands of teenager Johnny Burke, who was riding him for the first time.

Just behind at the final fence, Burke asked Sizing Europe (9-4) for a big leap and his mount responded to land running and cut down the evens favourite close to the line and score by a head.

De Bromhead said: "It was just incredible. It's like he's taking the Mickey, leaving it until the very end.

"Four years on the trot now back here. He winged the last, but I still didn't think he'd get up.

"It's great that it's happened. We just felt he wasn't ready to retire.

"It's great that it's happened. We just felt he wasn't ready to retire" - Sizing Europe's trainer Henry de Bromhead

"Fair play to Alan and Ann (Potts, owners). It was brilliant of them to go with us.

"He's rated 161 - they are hard to come across these guys. He's still loving it and you can see there he's got the heart of a lion.

"I'd say the Clonmel Oil is possible. I'll speak to Alan and Ann and we'll see. We said we'd just take one race at a time.

"I'd say if we were to go for anything we'd consider that. He seemed to love going round there a couple of years ago."

Burke said: "That was unbelievable. I thought four out Paul (Carberry) had slipped us a bit.

"I coaxed him up the straight and he didn't miss a beat. He winged the last three and battled from the back of the last. He's a wonderful horse."

Carberry said of the Noel Meade-trained Road To Riches: "I was sure I had them all cooked and couldn't have done any more. He got a bit tired and will come on for the run."

Meade said: "He got tired. He had a break after Galway and we let him off completely for the month of August.

"We didn't intend coming here and it was an afterthought. It only entered my mind halfway through last month and I thought it might come too soon. Fair play to the other horse, though.

"He got a harder race there than he got in the Plate as he got tired. He'll go north now (to Down Royal next month) if he's OK, he pulled a front shoe."