Beau may renew rivalry with Moscow
Thursday, 27 October 2005 15:29Eamon Sheehy's Rathgar Beau is a possible to renew rivalry with Moscow Flyer when the champion makes his reappearance for the winter in the Fortria Chase at Navan on November 13.
Thr nine-year-old became the first horse to beat Moscow Flyer over fences when rallying on the run-in to score by a short head in the Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown in April.
Sheehy is considering sending Rathgar Beau for the Navan feature which is Moscow Flyer's traditional starting point for the campaign, although he has an another option four days later.
"He'll possibly be in Navan in just over two weeks' time for the Fortria Chase and take on Moscow Flyer again," Sheehy told At The Races.
"If not he'll go to Clonmel for the race he won last year - the Clonmel Oil Chase. It will be one of the two."
Having enjoyed a very successful season, Rathgar Beau was travelling well before hitting the last and spoiling his chance in a Grade Two event at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, Sheehy will try him over the two miles of the Queen Mother Champion Chase this time around.
"He's very versatile and can run from two to two and a half - but two miles five at Cheltenham was stretching him a bit," he added.
"We'll go for the Champion Chase this year. We probably should have gone for it last year - Shay Barry, his jockey, wanted to go for it - but I chickened out.
"But it will definitely be the Queen Mother this year. He beat the champion and was probably very unlucky not to beat him before at Navan."
