Moscow Flyer
Encyclopedia
Moscow Flyer was a top-class National Hunt horse
over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles (3.2–4 km). He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase
in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002. He was trained
by Jessica Harrington and Barry Geraghty
was his jockey
during almost all his successes.
, after the usual one season of bumperadge.
who fell at the last when in contention. Moscow Flyer himself went on to fall two out in that season's Grade 1 AIG Europe Champion Hurdle when in contention although Istabraq
was still in control, but only just. The effect of Foot and Mouth ruined his chance at the Champion Hurdle
with the Cheltenham Festival abandoned.
was won with a Racing Post Rating four below Moscow Flyer's highest rating of 170 achieved the previous April at Punchestown. Admittedly, that Champion Hurdle lost the first and second favourites in unfortunate and tragic circumstances respectively.
. He'd won four races out of five that season. His only defeat had been an unlucky one. Reigning champion Flagship Uberalles
made a very bad mistake at one fence in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. Moscow Flyer was behind him and was unable to avoid running into the back of him and unshipping Barry Geraghty
. He started as a short-priced 7/4 favourite for the Champion Chase and won very impressively by 7 lengths.
. He started at 5/6F while his main rival Azertyuiop was the 15/8 second favourite. His rival had won the previous season's Arkle Challenge Trophy and the race was seen as a match between the two despite the presence of Flagship Uberalles
and Tiutchev. However, Moscow Flyer made a horrible mistake four out and gave Geraghty no chance of staying on him. Azertyuiop went on to an easy victory.
. He retained his Tingle Creek Chase crown and broke his odd record of falling every four races. His form had gone 111F111U111U111U111. This showed his class and his tendency to make mistakes. Reopposing him were Azertyuiop at 2/1 and a new challenger in the previous year's Arkle Challenge Trophy winner Well Chief at 7/2. Strong betting support on the day made Moscow Flyer the 6/4 favourite. The confrontation between the three horses was one that racing fans had looked forward to for months. Azertyuiop made an uncharacteristic mistake at the water jump and although he came third he was not in contention for the last half of the race. Moscow Flyer went on to hold off the determined challenge of Well Chief to the cheers of his fans. His subsequent win at Aintree was his seventh in a row. Moscow Flyer lost by a short-head at Punchestown to Rathgar Beau on 26 April 2005. Many thought that there would be a dead heat but the stewards awarded the race to Rathgar Beau. This horse was the first to beat Moscow Flyer when he didn't fall since Colonel Yeagar on 18 April 2001. That had been four years and 25 races ago!
for a third time. However, it appeared that age may be catching up with him. He was already older than most top-class 2 milers are at the peak of their form, as indeed he was the year before when dismissing Well Chief, (the current favourite for the 2007 renewal) and the now retired Azertyioup. He suffered another defeat to Central House at Navan in the Fortria Chase, a defeat clear rm the landing after the last, that silenced the crowd. A further defeat followed in December by Hi Cloy at Leopardstown in an eventful race, best remembered for Roger Loughran's mistake as to the whereabouts of the finishing line. Subsequently, Moscow Flyer ran in the Champion Chase entering the field without a win that year, with the vibes leading up to the race being more hopeful than his form appeared to suggest they should be. He went off at 5/1 and finished fifth ( beating amongst others the faller, Kauto Star,by virtue of staying on his feet). To claim that Moscow was unable to maintain his position at a critical time in the race might flatter him a little on his final run, nonetheless, running on boldly down the hill, he eventually was run out of the places and rightly eased in the shadow of the post by his erstwhile jockey Barry Geraghty. A gallant fifth place saw him denied the chance to enter the winner's enlcosure one final time. He was retired immediately after the race, while still on the scene of some of his greatest triumphs- not in his pomp but with the cheers and applause of his legions of followers ringing out for him; his like, they believe, and rightly perhaps too, we will be lucky to see again.
He has since spent some time as a pin up pony for retired racehorses in Ireland, enjoying his summer fairs and the chance to dance once more in front of his numerous followers. He was in good health on a return to Sandown in 2006 for a parade before the Tingle Creek- and again before the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
over distances between 2 miles and 2½ miles (3.2–4 km). He won the Queen Mother Champion Chase
Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
in 2003 and 2005, the Tingle Creek Chase in 2003 and 2004 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2002. He was trained
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
by Jessica Harrington and Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...
was his jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
during almost all his successes.
Bumpers
Moscow Flyer never won a Bumper. He came third in two of his four bumpers, but never was first past the post. He was quickly changed to hurdlingSteeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
, after the usual one season of bumperadge.
Hurdling
He started off as a close to top-class hurdler. He won the 2000 December Festival Hurdle claiming the notable scalp of IstabraqIstabraq
Istabraq is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was most famous for his hurdling. He had an exceptional pedigree, being the produce of Sadler's Wells, a son of Northern Dancer, and a Secretariat mare making him a three-quarter brother to Epsom Derby winner Secreto. He won the Champion...
who fell at the last when in contention. Moscow Flyer himself went on to fall two out in that season's Grade 1 AIG Europe Champion Hurdle when in contention although Istabraq
Istabraq
Istabraq is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who was most famous for his hurdling. He had an exceptional pedigree, being the produce of Sadler's Wells, a son of Northern Dancer, and a Secretariat mare making him a three-quarter brother to Epsom Derby winner Secreto. He won the Champion...
was still in control, but only just. The effect of Foot and Mouth ruined his chance at the Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...
with the Cheltenham Festival abandoned.
2001/2002
Moscow Flyer returned in the 2001/2002 season as a novice chaser. His record coming into the Arkle Challenge Trophy was mixed. He had won three races but also fallen twice. Consequently, Seebald went off as favourite. However, Moscow Flyer won easily by four lengths. That year's Champion HurdleChampion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...
was won with a Racing Post Rating four below Moscow Flyer's highest rating of 170 achieved the previous April at Punchestown. Admittedly, that Champion Hurdle lost the first and second favourites in unfortunate and tragic circumstances respectively.
2002/2003
He returned to the Festival for the 2003 Queen Mother Champion ChaseQueen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
. He'd won four races out of five that season. His only defeat had been an unlucky one. Reigning champion Flagship Uberalles
Flagship Uberalles
Flagship Uberalles was a racehorse, a half brother to the 1994 and 1995 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Viking Flagship, who raced between 1997 and 2005. He started his racing career as a Flat horse in Ireland and was trained by Dermot Weld and made his race course debut in April 1997...
made a very bad mistake at one fence in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. Moscow Flyer was behind him and was unable to avoid running into the back of him and unshipping Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...
. He started as a short-priced 7/4 favourite for the Champion Chase and won very impressively by 7 lengths.
2003/2004
Moscow Flyer won his first three races of the season and again was the favourite for the Queen Mother Champion ChaseQueen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
. He started at 5/6F while his main rival Azertyuiop was the 15/8 second favourite. His rival had won the previous season's Arkle Challenge Trophy and the race was seen as a match between the two despite the presence of Flagship Uberalles
Flagship Uberalles
Flagship Uberalles was a racehorse, a half brother to the 1994 and 1995 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Viking Flagship, who raced between 1997 and 2005. He started his racing career as a Flat horse in Ireland and was trained by Dermot Weld and made his race course debut in April 1997...
and Tiutchev. However, Moscow Flyer made a horrible mistake four out and gave Geraghty no chance of staying on him. Azertyuiop went on to an easy victory.
2004/2005
Moscow Flyer returned the next year to try to be the first horse in many years to regain the Queen Mother Champion ChaseQueen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
. He retained his Tingle Creek Chase crown and broke his odd record of falling every four races. His form had gone 111F111U111U111U111. This showed his class and his tendency to make mistakes. Reopposing him were Azertyuiop at 2/1 and a new challenger in the previous year's Arkle Challenge Trophy winner Well Chief at 7/2. Strong betting support on the day made Moscow Flyer the 6/4 favourite. The confrontation between the three horses was one that racing fans had looked forward to for months. Azertyuiop made an uncharacteristic mistake at the water jump and although he came third he was not in contention for the last half of the race. Moscow Flyer went on to hold off the determined challenge of Well Chief to the cheers of his fans. His subsequent win at Aintree was his seventh in a row. Moscow Flyer lost by a short-head at Punchestown to Rathgar Beau on 26 April 2005. Many thought that there would be a dead heat but the stewards awarded the race to Rathgar Beau. This horse was the first to beat Moscow Flyer when he didn't fall since Colonel Yeagar on 18 April 2001. That had been four years and 25 races ago!
2005/2006
Moscow Flyer was aimed to win the Queen Mother Champion ChaseQueen Mother Champion Chase
The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles , and during its running there are twelve fences to be jumped...
for a third time. However, it appeared that age may be catching up with him. He was already older than most top-class 2 milers are at the peak of their form, as indeed he was the year before when dismissing Well Chief, (the current favourite for the 2007 renewal) and the now retired Azertyioup. He suffered another defeat to Central House at Navan in the Fortria Chase, a defeat clear rm the landing after the last, that silenced the crowd. A further defeat followed in December by Hi Cloy at Leopardstown in an eventful race, best remembered for Roger Loughran's mistake as to the whereabouts of the finishing line. Subsequently, Moscow Flyer ran in the Champion Chase entering the field without a win that year, with the vibes leading up to the race being more hopeful than his form appeared to suggest they should be. He went off at 5/1 and finished fifth ( beating amongst others the faller, Kauto Star,by virtue of staying on his feet). To claim that Moscow was unable to maintain his position at a critical time in the race might flatter him a little on his final run, nonetheless, running on boldly down the hill, he eventually was run out of the places and rightly eased in the shadow of the post by his erstwhile jockey Barry Geraghty. A gallant fifth place saw him denied the chance to enter the winner's enlcosure one final time. He was retired immediately after the race, while still on the scene of some of his greatest triumphs- not in his pomp but with the cheers and applause of his legions of followers ringing out for him; his like, they believe, and rightly perhaps too, we will be lucky to see again.
He has since spent some time as a pin up pony for retired racehorses in Ireland, enjoying his summer fairs and the chance to dance once more in front of his numerous followers. He was in good health on a return to Sandown in 2006 for a parade before the Tingle Creek- and again before the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.