RACING: Moscow Flyer's next start is set to be at Leopardstown over Christmas after a dirty scope yesterday ruled the champion chaser out of Saturday's William Hill Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
Trainer Jessica Harrington reported Moscow Flyer failed to sparkle in an important work-out at the Curragh yesterday morning and a subsequent scope came up dirty.
"He has been put on antibiotics which will take five days so he will not be going to Sandown. Hopefully things will clear up," Harrington reported before adding that the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase on the second day of Leopardstown's Christmas Festival is now the likely plan for her stable star. Moscow Flyer won that race in both 2002 and 2003 but was a late absentee last year.
The Tingle Creek had been seen as a good opportunity for Moscow Flyer to regain winning form having been beaten by Central House in the Fortria Chase at Navan earlier this month.
Moscow Flyer is already a two-time former Tingle Creek winner and yesterday's news was another blow to the Grade One race as Ruby Walsh, who had been due to ride the exciting Kauto Star, has been ruled out of action for up to four weeks after dislocating a shoulder at Navan on Sunday. Mick Fitzgerald has been snapped up by Paul Nicholls to take over on Kauto Star.
A total of 12 entries now remain in the Tingle Creek including the two horses who have beaten the current champion, Central House and Rathgar Beau. Moscow Flyer, however, remains a general 15 to 8 favourite to secure a third Queen Mother Champion Chase success at Cheltenham in March.
Ireland's weekend action will be at Fairyhouse where the ground is currently "yielding" with the course manager Dick Shiel reporting the track in "great order". He added: "At the moment I would say the ground is verging more towards good to yielding. There are small quantities of rain forecast for the next few days but I'm very happy with the way things are here."
Sunday's card includes three Grade One races highlighted by the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle where the probable favourite will be the Champion Hurdle contender Brave Inca. Trainer Colm Murphy has confirmed his stable star will run in the two-and-a-half mile race and said: "Once everything goes well this week the intention is to run. He needs another race before Christmas and the Hatton's Grace is the only race suitable in between. We don't want to go England at this stage of the season."
Another Grade One race is the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle which could see the highly rated Edward O'Grady-trained O'Muircheartaigh step up to the top level.
Saturday's Fairyhouse feature will be the Grade Three Winter Festival Juvenile Hurdle and a total of 15 horses were left in the race at yesterday's forfeit stage, including the Galway winner, Timber Scorpion.
The other Saturday highlight will be the Porterstown Handicap Chase which is an option for Philip Rothwell's impressive Wexford winner Amorini.
