Moscow Flyer underlined his Cheltenham credentials with a power-packed victory under Barry Geraghty in the featured Denny Gold Medal Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon. Despite a mistake at the second last, the 5/4 favourite jumped well throughout and managed to keep the lead from the chasing Just Our Job and Colonel Yeager. A great jump at the last allowed Jessica Harrington’s gelding to comfortably hold off Youlneverwalkalone and Colonel Yeager, who reportedly broke down early in the straight, with Just Our Job coming in in fourth.
“(Moscow Flyer) stayed and jumped well and seemed to do it very easily. The plan was always to come back here for the Baileys Arkle before Cheltenham,” said an exhausted Harrington.
In the Denny Juvenile Hurdle, 4/1 shot Newhall provided Grangecon trainer Francis Flood and his namesake son with another family success. The daughter of Shermazar travelled strongly behind the leaders and, after a good jump at the second last, she swept to the front to defeat Moore's Law by four lengths. “She seems to be improving and I was surprised the way she stayed when she pulled away again from the last,” said Flood senior, whose charge can be backed at 33/1 for the Triumph Hurdle next March.
The Flood father and son team followed up in the next when The Culdee (8/1-10/1-9/1) made virtually all to score at the expense of Cronin's Boy.
Thari, formerly trained by Ben Hanbury, made a winning debut for Navan handler Noel Meade. The British import battled on gamely after the last to hold Petersham by a neck in the hands of Paul Carberry. “He's a nice tough horse and jumped brilliantly bar the last and that might have been a good race. We'll find a winners race next,” said Meade of the £60,000 Newmarket purchase.
The Meade/Carberry alliance ended up in the winners’ enclosure again when Woodenbridge Natif (5/2-2/1f) stayed on in the straight to hold Be Home Early in the penultimate chase.
Georgies Best, a bargain buy at just £6,000, won the opener for permit holder George McMahon despite idling in the final 100 yards to initiate a double for big race winning rider Barry Geraghty. In the finale, Curragh-based Pat O'Leary, who has decided to relinquish his trainers’ licence, saddled Rugged Jacket (12/1) to victory. Well-touted Sound As A Bell (1/1-4/5f) was a well-beaten third.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
