Cork All Star, Gemini Lucy And Moscow Flyer All On Course For Punchestown

Cork All Star, winner of Cheltenham's Weatherbys Champion Bumper in March, is set to bid for a fifth successive victory in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown on Wednesday, April 25.

'Cork All Star has pleased me since Cheltenham and will go in the Bumper. He's looking to maintain his unbeaten record and is in very good form,' said trainer Jessica Harrington. 'He's won on firm ground so there are no ground provisos with him.'

Meanwhile, the mare Gemini Lucy, a 17-length handicap chase winner at Fairyhouse on April 10, is to step up to Grade 1 company for the Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase on Thursday, April 26.

'I'm very happy with Gemini Lucy after Fairyhouse so she will head to the Swordlestown Cup. Andrew Leigh will ride her and also most likely Hide The Evidence, who is on course for running in the vcbet.com Champion Novice Hurdle on Tuesday.'

Meanwhile the great Moscow Flyer, a winner seven times over fences and hurdles at Punchestown, has been brought out of retirement to run in the Diageo Punchestown Private Charity Sweepstakes on Friday, April 27.

Mrs Harrington's daughter Kate is set to ride the 13-year-old to raise funds for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund (www.pkrf.ie).

'Moscow Flyer is in great form. It's been over a year since he last raced and I think he'll love it. He's doing it for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund and hopefully people will want to donate to that,' said Harrington.

'My daughter Kate has never ridden in a race before so she's got the honour of riding him, which is brilliant. She rides him out at home and has ridden work on him a couple of times so she's really looking forward to it.'

Going Is Currently Good

The going is currently GOOD at Punchestown ahead of next week's Irish National Hunt Festival, running from Tuesday, April 24, to Friday, April 27.

Richie Galway, Punchestown's Racing Manager, said: 'The ground is currently Good on the chase and hurdle tracks following extensive watering since last Friday.

'Over 1.5 million gallons of water have already been applied to the track and watering will continue to maintain Good ground in advance and throughout the Festival. We are very conscious that the ground needs to be good safe jumping ground over the four days and we will ensure that is the case.'