Moscow gets Irish challenge off to a flyer

WHAT began as a day of lots of long faces — and not just the horses — ended up changing tack mid-afternoon bringing smiles to Irish eyes.

Tom Foley's Royal Paradise had barely stamped out the bonfire of hype built around him, finishing a disappointing seventh in the opening race, when Moscow Flyer stepped into the breach. Lining out as the drizzle lifted in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, he had the air of a horse determined to redeem the disappointment of falling last year. This time round he beat last year's winner Azertyuiop into third place and the hotly-fancied Well Chief into second to raise the rowdiest cheer of the day.

Roars of "You'll never beat the Irish", reverberated around the parade ring and the winner's enclosure as jubilant jockey Barry Geraghty took a flying leap out of the saddle. Trainer Jessica Harrington, based in Moone, Co Kildare declared the win "fantastic I couldn't believe my eyes" as her daughters, Emma and Kate whooped with delight.

In keeping with most horsey folk, they harboured an unnatural amount of superstition in the run up to the race.

"We all wear the same clothes on race day as we wore the last time Moscow Flyer won, so we are wearing what we wore at Sandown," said Emma. "We are also very superstitious about where we watch the race. This year we couldn't watch it near the parade ring as that's where we were when he fell last year."

Neither did she hedge her bets on the champion, "I never back a horse I want to win they always fall when I do." (I feel her pain).

The only royalty spotted on the day, within yards of her ex-boyfriend, jockey Richard Johnson, was Zara Phillips, who had earlier chosen Moscow Flyer as the best turned out horse in his race. She was later on hand to present Barry Geraghty with his winning trophy as he compared Moscow Flyer with the sparkle of Arkle.

Owner Brian Kearney, whose family persuaded him to buy Moscow Flyer seven years ago to banish the boredom of retirement, said the win had shown "there was plenty of life in the old boy yet" and he wasn't referring to himself.

The day ended on an even higher note when Missed That, owned by Violet and Archie O'Leary of Cork-based O'Leary Insurance held out to win the bumper.

As jockey Ruby Walsh rode up to the winner's enclosure even the strains of "Fairytale of New York" and the babble of the bars couldn't drown out the reception.