Moscow Flyer is up to Creek
You would have thought the pendulum had very much swung in favour of Azertyuiop, after he had produced that stunning return to action at Exeter last week.
The fact he is such a class act and is three years younger than Moscow Flyer would have to greatly influence you if having a wager.
Sunday at Navan, however, saw Moscow Flyer give every indication that there is absolutely no deterioration whatsoever in his abilities.
In well under two months he will be an 11-year-old, but that’s just a number near his name and Moscow Flyer seems blissfully unaware he should be edging backwards, at least to some degree.
But he seemed as good as ever, travelling powerfully through the contest, jumping superbly and was poised to run away from Rathgar Beau when his opponent departed the scene at the final fence.
Come Monday and betting was available on the Tingle Creek with Azertyuiop at 4-5 and Moscow Flyer a 9-4 shot.
No matter which one of them you fancy that seems generous. It comes to some 85% and you can’t see the layers making much of a profit, unless they both get beaten.
That won’t happen and, indeed, you would have to say they are well odds-on to lose on the race!
To my way of thinking, only if Azertyuiop and Moscow Flyer end up on the floor could something else win.
Indeed, you would be almost tempted to back the two of them and then sit back and enjoy taking a minor profit!
ON October 13, rumour has it that bookmakers left Navan racecourse with a real song in their collective hearts.
Indeed, the following afternoon at Tramore one of the major layers admitted to having had “a good day” and when it was suggested it would carry him through to Christmas he didn’t disagree.
That October day saw all eight favourites get chinned, on a totally flat programme. Winners at 16-1, 10-1 and three at 8-1 left punters battered and bruised.
Fast-forward to Navan last Sunday, however, and the boys exacted a savage revenge. Eight races again and this time five favourites and two second favourites went in.
It was carnage and the temptation to break into song the previous month, resisted because it simply wouldn’t be cricket, was just a distant memory.
WE waffled on here least week about Noel Meade’s talent for producing horses to do the business on their seasonal debuts and he did again at the weekend.
Augherskea at Down Royal on Saturday and Watson Lake and Freddie Foster at Navan on Sunday scored at the first time of asking.
They were all heavily-backed and there’s no doubt Meade has kept his share of punters on easy- street in the opening weeks of the National Hunt campaign.
HAD enough of Blazing Liss over flights yet?
John Kiely’s high class mare in bumpers is certainly taking her time getting the hang of what’s required over jumps and has twice been a costly failure.
She fell at the first, when an odds-on shot, at Punchestown and was a strong market-leader then at Galway when beaten a whopping 11 lengths by Justified.
She refused to settle in the early stages at Galway and her technique lacked fluency as well.
One notes her presence in the Narraghmore Maiden Hurdle, she is one of 121 entries, at Punchestown this coming Saturday.
We will have to wait and see how the race pans out on Friday morning, but I don’t think we should lose faith just yet!
