Moscow Flyer came through his final preliminary before the Queen Mother Champion Chase when justifying odds of 2/7 in the Byrne Group Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown this afternoon.
Barry Geraghty sent the nine-year-old to the front at the fifth last fence in this Grade 3 event, and survived his only anxious moment when blundering at the last before going on to beat Copernicus by an easy nine lengths.
Commanche Court, runnner-up in the Gold Cup last season and making a belated reappearance here, stayed on well in the straight to finish a further four lengths back in third.
`He`s in great form, and just wasn`t concentrating at the last,` said trainer Jessica Harrington. `Barry said they were not going quick enough, so he decided to go on five out. Hopefully the mistake at the last will have taught him something.`
Cashmans leave Moscow Flyer unchanged at 5/2 for the Queen Mother, while Sean Graham cut him to the same price from 3/1.
