Moscow Flyer completed his pre-Cheltenham programme in style at Punchestown this afternoon with a clear-cut victory in the Grade Three Byrne Group plc Tied Cottage Chase over two miles.
He only gave his connections a momentary worry when hitting the final fence as he was doing a virtual solo to land the odds in his final outing in public before the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
"Moscow Flyer wasn't paying any attention at all going to the final fence. He was fresh and well in himself, but he doesn't like being in front so soon although Barry (Geraghty) said he thought it was just as well to school him in front when he wanted to go on," said Jessica Harrington.
"That's it now before we go back to Cheltenham. He had a good blow and it should leave him right for the Queen Mother Champion Chase."
Moscow Flyer is 5-2 favourite with both Sean Graham and Cashmans to follow up last season's Festival success in the Arkle Trophy.
After first Fiery Ring and then Copernicus had held the lead Geraghty pushed Jessica Harrington's charge to the front five fences from home.
Moscow Flyer had a commanding advantage lead by the time he made his only serious error but he was quickly back on an even keel.
Copernicus, who attempted to make a race of it with the 7-2 on favourite from halfway, kept going at his own pace to take second money, nine lengths off the winner but four lengths ahead of Commanche Court, who nevertheless ran a pleasing race on his seasonal return.
Not surprisingly outpaced by the principals, Commanche Court ran on well enough at the finish and has a choice of engagements in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton and a similar two-mile event closer to home at Naas before returning to Cheltenham for another crack at the Tote Gold Cup.
In the preceding Grade Two Byrne Group Novice Hurdle, Geraghty also took the race in hand plenty early enough aboard the 5-2 favourite Kicking King and this improving five-year-old maintained a relentless gallop up-front to defeat Central House by four lengths with the same distance back to Woodys Deep Ocean.
"This horse would love better ground and he should get it at Cheltenham where he will run in the Gerrard Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two miles," said trainer Tom Taaffe.
"It was horrible, tacky ground here but he jumped quicker than before and galloped relentlessly so he deserves to go to the Festival."
Kicking King was winning for the fourth time, with Geraghty in the saddle for his three successes over hurdles and Taaffe was taking no chances of a false pace in this event by using stable companion Lease as an early pacemaker for his talented novice.
The big disappointment of the race was Masteroffoxhounds, winner of his three previous races which however was pulled up when well behind approaching the final flight and subsequently found to be lame on his off-fore.
Favourite backers were also on the mark in the opening Walshestown Maiden Hurdle as English-based Timmy Murphy made all the running on the American-bred Safe Route to land the prize for trainer Willie Austin who bred the great Danoli.
Pace-forcing tactics also proved decisive in the Grand National Trial as 19-year-old Sam Curling blazed the trail on 7-1 chance Hedgehunter from the Willie Mullins stable to compensate for a recent narrow defeat in a novice chase at his local Gowran Park. This was the biggest success of his career for claiming rider Curling and Hedgehunter may take his chance in the four-mile National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
