held up in touch, headway 6th, led 8th, hit next, ridden clear approaching last, ran on
led, headed after 2nd, chased leader to 4th, lost place when jumped slowly 7th, kept on approaching last
chased leaders to 4th, behind from next
held up, slightly hampered 4 out, headway approaching next, ridden to go 2nd approaching last, no chance with winner
held up, keen in touch, headway 6th, close 3rd when blundered and unseated rider 4 out
held up in rear, headway 7th, disputed 2nd approaching 3 out, ridden approaching last, soon weakened
There may only be the dead eight runners but there is no shortage of quality for the Queen Mother with the last two winners of the contest Moscow Flyer and Flagship Uberalles joined in battle by two previous winners of the Arkle Azertyuiop and Tiutchev and our vote goes to Moscow Flyer. Jessica Harrington's stable star has never been beaten when completing the course over fences and, granted a clear round he looks too good for his rivals today. The selection was brilliant in Sandown's Tingle Creek Chase earlier in the season when having Azertyuiop four lengths adrift and the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding faces a stiff task in trying to reverse the form today. Admittedly, the seven-year-old may still be on the upgrade and he did little wrong when narrowly beaten under a mammoth weight behind Isio in the Victor Chandler last time. However, Moscow Flyer has never put a foot wrong over fences at the Festival before and is taken to gain a third success here, having won the Arkle in 2002. Flagship Uberalles landed the two-mile novice championship race at the 1999 meeting before taking this race two years ago but he has not looked at his best this term. Well held by the selection in the Tingle Creek, the 10-year-old was beaten a long way by Kadarann in Wetherby's Castleford Chase when last seen and may be getting a bit long in the tooth now. Similar comments apply to Tiutchev, who has yet to sparkle since joining the stable of Martin Pipe. Cenkos has 10 lengths to find with Moscow Flyer on last year's form and it is difficult to see how he can better last season's third. Venn Ottery has been backed at big odds but takes a huge step up in class today and it will be a major achievement by Paul Nicholls if he can take the nine-year-old from being an 80-rated handicapper to Queen Mother winner. Ei Ei has shown improved form over fences this season but is surely only playing for minor place prize-money, along with Eskleybrook. Jumping has not always been his strongest point but, having done nothing wrong here in the past, Moscow Flyer is taken to retain his crown.
