Flyer faces rivals in Punchestown opener

Moscow Flyer will face six rivals when Jessica Harrington’s stable star runs in the Betdaq.com Champion Chase on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival tomorrow.

The 10-year-old gelding has won all of his completed starts over fences – 13 out of 18 – but unseated Barry Geraghty at the second last fence when holding a length advantage in this race last year.

Geraghty was also unshipped when Moscow Flyer was bidding to repeat his victory of last year in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

But they made amends with an easy success in the Martell Cognac Melling Chase at Aintree.

Moscow Flyer had one of tomorrow’s rivals, Native Upmanship, 19 lengths back in third that day.

Alcapone drops back to two miles in the €150,000 contest, having been pulled up in the Martell Cognac Grand National last time out while Donal Hassett runs Native Scout.

Strong Run represents Noel Meade and the 11-year-old had Native Scout and Native Upmanship back in second and third respectively when winning at Naas in February.

The line up is completed by Eamon Sheehy’s Rathgar Beau and the Willie Mullins-trained Killultagh Storm.