Moscow Flyer catapulted to the top of the Arkle Trophy market with a smooth victory at Leopardstown yesterday and ensured even more happy agony in the future for his trainer.
Jessica Harrington was smiling a relieved smile when her stable star returned after giving Youlneverwalkalone a two-length beating.
"I am totally exhausted after the strain of that!" Harrington exclaimed. "He got so close to the second last, and I hate that fence." Take the second last out of the equation, however, and it was another superbly professional display by the former top hurdler who has now won three of his four starts over fences.
It was certainly enough for Paddy Power to slash Moscow Flyer to 7/2 favouritism for Cheltenham but Harrington's concern is understandable for a horse that is quickly developing into a rather special chasing talent.
"He jumped like a handicapper the whole way round," reported jockey Barry Geraghty, which is just what Harrington wanted to hear. "I told Barry to keep out of trouble and the horse was doing nothing towards the end," she said.
"The plan has always been to run here, come back for the Arkle, and then go for the other Arkle - the important one!" The performance of the runner-up was a great improvement on a lacklustre debut and provoked a cut to 10/1 in his own right for the Arkle. However, the precarious nature of the game was emphasised by the third Colonel Yeager who returned lame and could miss out on the rest of the season.
It put the tin hat on the day for Colonel Yeager's jockey Ruby Walsh who had turned down the King George-winning ride on Florida Pearl. Paul Carberry did the same, but at least he had the consolation of a couple of winners.
"That's just what the jockey needed," said trainer Noel Meade after Woodenbridge Natif battled off the Walsh-ridden Be Home Early in the handicap chase.
Carberry's earlier success had been on the ex-Ben Hanbury-trained Thari in the maiden hurdle. The import looked to be in trouble when Petersham headed him on the run to the last but the better jump propelled Thari to a neck victory.
Another team in double form were the Floods: The Culdee bounced back to his best by making virtually all in the handicap hurdle but it was Newhall's decisive lifting of the Juvenile Hurdle that especially delighted Francis Flood Snr.
"She stayed on much better than I thought she would. She will run in the big four-year-old hurdles from now on," he said after Francis Jnr had forced the filly four lengths clear of Moore's Law.
Asked if the Triumph, for which Cashmans make her a 33/1 shot, is on Newhall's agenda, Flood said: "We will enter her and see, but she has certainly paid her way!"
In contrast to the big guns, the Straffan permit-holder George McMahon has only one horse in training but Georgies Best, ridden by Geraghty, won his second race when getting the better of the favourite Woodys Deep Ocean in the opener.
"He is owned by my wife Deirdre and he is definitely not for sale," said McMahon who is in just his second season.
Sound As A Bell, the odds-on bumper favourite, proved distinctly shaky as he trailed home a distant third behind Rugged Jacket. The Pat O'Leary-trained winner took the race by the horns on the turn-in and the market leader looked disappointingly one-paced in pursuit.
