Flyer Sparks Festival Move

Commercial Flyer put himself bang in the frame for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham after a foot-perfect display on his chase debut at Taunton.

Martin Pipe's seven-year-old, a winner of five races over timber, was having his first outing since April 2005 but showed no residue of tiredness on his return to the track, which yielded a four-length success in the southwestracing.com Beginners' Chase.

Sent off the 1-2 favourite, Timmy Murphy had his partner settled in mid-division before taking the lead at the 12th flight.

The outcome was never in doubt thereafter as Pipe's charge quickened three from home to win with quite a bit in hand from Blue Business.

After being the subject of a flurry of ante-post interest this morning, bookmakers again cut his odds on the back of this success.

William Hill went 33-1 first thing but are now as short as 10-1, while Coral make Commercial Flyer a 14-1 chance, having seen him backed at 33-1 down to 20-1.

'The money we saw this morning suggested a winning debut was expected and that duly proved to be the case,' said Coral spokesman David Stevens.

? PA Sport