MARTIN BRASSIL has declared himself happy with conditions at Cheltenham ahead of Nickname’s assault on the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday.

Much like that frightful Wizzard chorus, racing fans are surely united in their wish it could be Christmas every day.

Just under six weeks after his retirement, Moscow Flyer was back at the racecourse and strutting his stuff before an adoring crowd at the Punchestown Festival.

Moscow Flyer’s distinguished career came to an end at the scene of some of his greatest hours after the popular veteran was retired following his fifth place in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham yesterday.

Moscow Flyer retired after finishing fifth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

MANY may have written off Moscow Flyer’s chances of a third Queen Mother Champion Chase here today, but his trainer Jessica Harrington was last night drawing a lot of comfort from the performance in the Champion Hurdle of Macs Joy.

Jessica Harrington reports Moscow Flyer to be in good health despite his significant drift in the betting for Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase.

MACS JOY completed his preparations for next Tuesday's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle with a gallop at the Curragh yesterday morning.

Macs Joy completed his preparations for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle a week today with a gallop at the Curragh this morning.

MOSCOW FLYER has been all the rage in the Queen Mother Champion Chase betting after Jessica Harrington’s stable returned to form at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Barry Geraghty believes Moscow Flyer is back to his old self after teaming up with the dual Queen Mother Champion Chase hero on the gallops.

HAVE a quick glance at the current prices on offer for the Royal and SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and tell me it makes sense there should be such a wide gap between favourite, Black Jack Ketchum, and Noel Meade’s Nicanor.

MOSCOW FLYER heads a classy 11-strong entry for the Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase at the Leopardstown festival on December 27.

Moscow Flyer is expected to resume work this week to begin preparations for his next outing at Leopardstown after Christmas.

KICKING KING, the reigning King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup holder was yesterday named 2005 Horse of the Year at the annual Irish Horse Racing Awards ceremony.

HORSE RACING Ireland last night announced the nominees for the 2005 HRI awards.

ACCORDION ETOILE could return to Britain as part of his preparation for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

Moscow Flyer was reported to be “absolutely fine” after only his second defeat in 21 completed starts over fences at Navan on Sunday.

Moscow Flyer came through his final schooling session with flying colours in preparation for his run at Navan on Sunday.

Moscow Flyer lost his unbeaten record over fences in the most dramatic fashion at the Punchestown Festival today.

MOSCOW FLYER thrilled the crowds at Aintree yesterday as he put in a hugely impressive display to take the Grade One John Smith’s Melling Chase.

Unbeaten Irish star Moscow Flyer is on course for a second consecutive victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday week.

Kicking King lapped up the attention this morning as the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was given a rapturous welcome at his County Kildare base.

MOSCOW FLYER took his place among the all-time greats with his victory at the Festival yesterday.

Moscow Flyer regained his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown with a magnificent performance at Cheltenham today on a great afternoon for the sport.

MOSCOW FLYER appears to have scared off most of his rivals as he faces a maximum of five challengers in the Paddy Power Dial-a-Bet Chase at Leopardstown next Monday.

Jessica Harrington reports stable star Moscow Flyer to be in great form after his brilliant victory in the William Hill Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown yesterday.

TODAY’S Tingle Creek Chase encounter at Sandown between Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer is being touted by the racing world as one of the sport’s great showdowns, and few can possibly doubt that the prospect of these two Champion Chase winners clashing once more could go down in the annals of the sport as a genuine ‘never-to-be-forgotten’ moment.

ONLY four entries have been received for the William Hill — Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

MOSCOW FLYER proved himself on course for a rematch with reigning two-mile champion Azertyuiop in next month's Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown when scoring a bloodless victory in the Ballymore Properties Fortria Chase at Navan yesterday.

Barry Geraghty, odds-on favourite to be leading jockey at the Punchestown Festival, stepped up his challenge for the title by taking today’s opening Lemongrass Restaurants Handicap Hurdle on Willie The Shoe.

Moscow Flyer confirmed his position as the best two-miler in Ireland by winning the Betdaq.com Champion Chase.

STAR performers such as Hardy Eustace, Harbour Pilot and Moscow Flyer are likely to be attracted by record prize money of €1.7m at the four-day Punchestown Festival next month.

Paul Nicholls is convinced that Azertyuiop has a good chance of upsetting last year’s winner Moscow Flyer in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.

RUBY WALSH yesterday expressed confidence that Azertyuiop will give Moscow Flyer a real battle in the Champion ’Chase at Cheltenham next week.

Moscow Flyer is set to complete his preparations for the Cheltenham Festival with a racecourse gallop next week.

Moscow Flyer is firmly on track to attempt back-to-back Champion Chase successes after getting his campaign off to a perfect start at Navan today.

IT is no great exaggeration to say that this weekend sees the real start of the National Hunt campaign.

Retired? Bored? Take the money out of the pension fund and splash it out on a horse.

Pat Keane

Last season’s top novice chaser Moscow Flyer is set to return to action at the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing at Down Royal on Saturday.

Moscow Flyer delighted connections in a workout at Leopardstown racecourse ahead of his bid for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy.

Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy hope Seebald is on course for the Festival and is likely to head straight for Cheltenham without another run.