Moscow Flyer - top-class performer (Getty).
MOSCOW HAS CHAMPION CLASS
By Carl Llewellyn
Everybody is looking forward to the Queen Mother Champion Chase and to be fair I think it will be a three-horse race between Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Well Chief. I think that Moscow Flyer is possibly the most talented of the trio on all known form. But if he is not quite at his best on the day then there are two great horses who could come and beat him. Well Chief disappointed a little bit at Newbury last time but ran a great race to win the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham giving away a lot of weight. He did actually get quite close to Azertyuiop at Newbury without jumping very well that day and was perhaps feeling the effects of his run at Cheltenham. So I think that there is very little between that duo. He will have been freshened up once again since then. There are just a few pounds between all three and it comes down to who is feeling the best on the day. But I still would say Moscow Flyer is the pick and if they do all run at their peak he should win. I can see them coming down the hill within two or three lengths of each other and then it is a bit of pot luck as to which one jumps the best over the last three fences. Whoever does will win. It will be a shock if one of the above doesn't win but Oneway is worth a mention as he done nothing but improve all season. Officially, he still has to improve over a stone so it is a big ask.
I was due to ride Ollie Magern in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase on the second day and it is a big blow that he has to miss the race.He had some great, consistent form all season and some of his best efforts had been around Cheltenham. He was a short-priced favourite and we were very hopeful over his chances - he is so tough and that is exactly what you want at the Festival. The trip was a bit on the short side for him last time at Lingfield but he still went to the last with every chance against more experienced horses and did not shirk the issue. Hopefully he can come back from this next year as good as ever. It is a massive blow for him to get injured at such a late stage. I will ride Red Georgie in the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle. He has won a couple of fairly easy races really so whether he is good enough for this we don't know. He has tended to jump to the right so that counts against him at Cheltenham. But he is a tough horse and pretty good - he will be trying hard.
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