A long flat season may be about to come to a fascinating climax in New York at the weekend, but Moscow Flyer's chasing debut at Fairyhouse today is another signpost on the way to the winter game.
The horse that tailed Istabraq like a shadow last season takes his first step on a new career in the beginners' chase and it will be a major surprise if Moscow Flyer cannot make it a successful step.
"He's well but a bit big, as you would expect at this stage of the season. I hope he is fit enough. He has schooled at Gowran and on the schooling grounds on the Curragh," said Jessica Harrington yesterday.
Ranged against Moscow Flyer are some promising novices in their own class, but the likely favourite's class over hurdles was the highest possible and he wound up last season taking advantage of Istabraq's last-flight fall in April's Shell Champion Hurdle to win off a 151 rating.
There was also another successful piece of opportunism after an Istabraq fall at Christmas, and although the triple-champion won the AIG, there are those who still believe he would have to fight a lot harder if Moscow Flyer hadn't fallen at the second last.
Both Mick Kinane and John Murtagh will hope to make up more ground on the jockeys' championship leader, Pat Smullen, before they fly to the Breeders' Cup, and it looks like Murtagh who could make up most.
Ahsanabad ran a two and a half length second to Maryinsky at Gowran and will be something of a banker for the former champion in the two-year-old maiden, but he should also score on the Gowran third, Cadence, over Kinane's mount, Beauty, in the three-year -old maiden.
Kinane could have the edge in the opener on Cat Five, who ran a short head second to Crooked Wood last time, but Murtagh's New York send off can be completed with the top staying hurdler Catch Ball in the 13-furlong handicap.
Kinane is set to get in some warm-up action at the Belmont Park track when he rides Siringas for Jim Bolger in the Grade Three Athenia Stakes and Bail Out The King for Dermot Weld in a stakes race on Friday.
Kinane will miss out on Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster where a remarkable 10 of the 15 remaining entries are trained by Aidan O'Brien. The Beresford winner, Castle Gandolfo, and the Grand Lodge Stakes winner, Mutinyonthebounty, remain the most likely Ballydoyle runners.
