Moscow Flyer - goes for Champion glory.

By Michael Clower

Royal Paradise looks to have an outstanding chance in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

Trained by Tom Foley who won this with Danoli 11 years ago, this is a different type of horse but he has plenty of ability, he likes a strong pace and stays well.

Moscow Flyer is a worthy favourite to regain his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown but punters should be wary of trading at too short a price.

He may have left his copybook-blotting sequence behind this season - every fourth race he either fell or unseated his rider - but this is Cheltenham and there is no guarantee that he will not again lose concentration at a vital moment.

Balapour invariably runs well over this course and, if he takes his chance in the Coral Cup, he is worth few bob each way after being placed in the last two runnings of the County Hurdle.

It's 11 years since an Irish-trained favourite last won the Champion Bumper but Missed That's Leopardstown work was so spectacular that he has to be the choice to give Willie Mullins his fifth success in this race.

SELECTIONS
2.00 Royal Paradise
2.35 Like-A-Butterfly (ew)
3.15 Moscow Flyer
4.00 Balapour (ew)
4.40 Oh Be The Hokey
5.20 Missed That