Moscow Flyer
Jessica Harrington’s brilliant winner of Arkle at the Festival in March faces an easy task now and it will be most disappointing should he fail to deliver. The rising nine-year-old made an excellent seasonal debut when scoring in a canter at Down Royal and then took on the big boys for the first time in the Tingle Creek at Sandown earlier this month.
His race ended at the fifth, however. Moscow Flyer was badly hampered and he and Barry Geraghty went their separate ways. Barring similar misfortune, he will surely get back on the winning trail!
Solerina is the other star on show and she cannot be opposed in the Paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle. She is a super mare, very much destined to fill the considerable shoes of her stable companion, Limestone Lad.
Solerina was superb at Navan last time, over two and a half miles, when slamming the well-regarded Kicking King by an unflattering eight lengths. You could argue this two miles is on the short side, but, in testing conditions, the selection is certain to ask serious question of her rivals from the start.
I Can Imagine is the choice to repeat last year’s success in the featured Paddy Power Handicap ’Chase. She runs off a mark just 10lbs higher and has been in cracking form over flights so far this campaign. Mutineer, blinkered for the first time, gets the nod to take the Paddy Power Festival three-year-old Hurdle.
He was a close third to Harchibald at Fairyhouse and can make the most of the 7lbs he receives from the highly rated Newlands Gold.
Supreme Venture, beaten a length by Anvil Lord at Navan in early November, gets the nap to land the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle.
Colonel Monroe rates the bet of the day at Limerick, in the Guinness Christmas Hurdle.
He comes here in good shape, following a fine effort when third to Satco Express and Raven Rock at Cork.
Bizet, who won in a canter at Thurles recently, has to be fancied to defy a mandatory 4lbs penalty in the Robert Butler Handicap Hurdle.
