DAY TWO/Report: Moscow Flyer left his Champion Chase rivals stunned, but Native Upmanship and the rest ended up bright eyed and bushy tailed compared to the bookmakers after a remarkable Day Two in the Cotswolds.

A partial "get out" when Hardy Eustace won the SunAlliance Hurdle, beating the hotpot Pizarro, only postponed the subsequent carnage in the ring.

If Moscow Flyer was the one, then Xenophon in the Coral Cup was a two-three-four combination of Irish punches that left the layers reeling.

"There are bodies lying out here!" exclaimed one bookmaker, and it was almost possible to feel sympathy. Almost.

However, the most potent emotion among the throngs of Irish was joy on an afternoon that sets the visitors up for possibly their most successful Cheltenham ever.

The previous best Irish tally of seven was recorded in 1977 and 1996. With Beef Or Salmon and Limestone Lad leading a strong team today, that must be under threat.

Moscow Flyer's winning display, however, will take some capping as Jessica Harrington's star proved that a new era in the two mile division has begun.

It was almost as if it was meant to happen. Barry Geraghty's main fear had been Tiutchev and he fell at the fifth.

A mistake at the fourth-last only briefly interrupted Moscow Flyer's stroll, and at the second-last both Latolonme and Seebald came down.

As if that wasn't enough, they interfered with the following pack and Moscow Flyer could afford to saunter up the hill to colossal roars.

"He really is a star and he knows it," said Harrington, who confessed to a pre-race desire to run and hide. "It has been nerve-racking. We started dreaming of this after the Arkle last year, we have been preparing all winter, and the last hour has been the longest of my life.

"I wished there was somewhere I could go and hide. When you realise you have the whole Irish nation on your shoulders, the pressure is really on you," she said.

Moscow Flyer will have another run this season at Punchestown but already he has been installed a 4 to 1 favourite to retain the crown next year.

Xenophon's future is also over fences but his success yesterday allowed Tony Martin to forget about courts and suspensions and wallow in the glory of a major gamble.

Mick Fitzgerald timed his challenge to perfection to send Xenophon past the outsider Samon on the run in and initiate what could be double glory.

Xenophon is in today's County Hurdle, and Martin will see how he is this morning before deciding whether to run.

That decision will be made in the shadow of the High Court proceedings that will make its own decision on whether Martin's Grand National hope Davids Lad can run in Liverpool.

"If justice is done we'll win, and be sorted out one way or another," Martin said.

There was no such dramatic background to Hardy Eustace's success, just a long, 21-year wait for Dessie Hughes to taste festival glory again.

For a man who won Gold Cups and Champion Hurdles as a rider, Miller Hill's 1982 success in the Supreme seemed a long time ago.

"It's been a long wait!" he said, but the trainer had Hardy Eustace primed for yesterday and Kieran Kelly pulled the trigger on the greatest success of his young career.

"You'll have to pinch me - it's unreal," exclaimed Kelly, who punched the winner clear of Coolnagorna and Pizarro, who had flattered down the hill.

"He makes hard work of it but he was always going to win. It was a good race, they quickened and quickened down the back but he kept plugging on," Kelly added.

"No excuses," said Edward O'Grady, but Coolnagorna subsequently was placed last for interference with Lord Sam and Tony Dobbin was banned for a week.

A SunAlliance Chase/ Mildmay Of Flete double for Richard Johnson left the jockey equal with Barry Geraghty on the three winner mark for the festival.

That, along with Sudden Shock's 25 to 1 National Hunt Chase win, provided a brief respite for the bookmakers, but then Tony McCoy rubbed salt in the wound in the Weatherbys Bumper.

Liberman was backed off the boards down to 2 to 1 favourite, and although having to get the full McCoy treatment he lasted home by half a length from Trabolgan and Widemouth Bay.

The placed horses were 50 to 1 and 33 to 1 respectively. For once it was one of those days.