Punchestown Festival Report and previewThe 12,950 crowd that exited day one of Punchestown must be wondering if festival 2003 can have any more drama and incident to throw at them.

An 11-horse pile-up in front of the stands in what was the one race of the day without jumps set the tone for an extraordinary afternoon.

At the end of it, Moscow Flyer's dramatic exit from the BMW Chase, handing victory to Flagship Uberalles in the process, seemed a long time ago.

The 29 runners for the Bewley's Championship Flat Race, eventually won by the favourite Reine Des Reines, had only travelled a couple of furlongs when the packed stands had a close view of carnage.

The JP McManus-owned On The Hour, travelling just behind the leaders, suddenly stumbled and hit the ground.

Those immediately behind the stricken horse had nowhere to go and 10 more horses were brought down in a scene that looked more Balaclava than Punchestown.

Remarkably every horse escaped injury but Patrick Murphy, the rider of Calder River, was taken to hospital.

"He has left-sided chest injuries, mid-back pain and he had problems breathing. He was taken in a spinal stretcher to Naas hospital for full x-rays," reported the Turf Club medical officer, Dr Walter Halley, afterwards.

It wasn't the only time that the route to Naas hospital was taken. Ruby Walsh took a crashing fall in the opener and had to have x-rays to his skull and neck. Happily he was later allowed home but he is stood down for 48 hours.

Walsh's great rival Barry Geraghty also hit the ground in the BMW but it was only his pride that was hurt. Instead the pain was felt more by those who bet the 4 to 11 on Moscow Flyer.

The Champion Chaser had taken up the running from Latalomne before the fourth last and appeared to be travelling easily in front.

However, by the second last, his predecessor as the champion two miler, Flagship Uberalles, threw down a challenge and it was one that Moscow Flyer failed to deal with.

The horse hit the fence giving Geraghty little chance of staying on board and it left the English raider with a relatively simple task to win.

"Would he have won anyway?" asked his trainer Philip Hobbs. Geraghty had little doubt as to the answer.

"He got to the front and he couldn't have cared less. He just lost concentration," said the jockey.

Trainer Jessica Harrington added: "He was only cantering and idled in front. But he still has his 100 per cent record. He either wins or falls. They didn't go fast enough. I suppose it's my fault for having him too well!"

In contrast the other Cheltenham winner, Back In Front, made no mistake in landing the odds in the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

The Edward O'Grady-trained star wasn't quite as smooth a winner as he was at Cheltenham but a double attempt on Friday's Emo Oil Champion Hurdle remains on the cards. "In a way it was more difficult here because we were on a hiding to nothing if he got beat. But I liked the way he went about it when he came alive.

"I would like to run him on Friday but we will have to see. I would like more time but it is a one off and the race has cut up a certain amount," O'Grady said.

Geraghty had taken a fall off another favourite in the Grade Three Ellier Chase as Barrow Drive exited six out. Since Eskimo Jack had lost his rider at the second it left the race open to a surprise and the 16 to 1 Heart Midoltian provided it.

One of just four horses trained by the Co Wexford permit holder Seamus Neville, the Davy Russell-partnered winner held off the English raider Joly Bey by four lengths.

Some shrewd punters managed some relief when the bottom weight Blue Away, backed from 20 to 1 to 14 to 1, rallied to hold off Horner Rocks in the handicap hurdle.

A total of €2,035,118 was bet with the bookmakers compared to €1,711,740 last year. The Tote total was €634,221, up from last season's €571,145.

The popular and successful Kilbeggan racetrack has not been granted a licence to race for 2003 by the Turf Club.

The Turf Club's licencing committee have decided the ambulance road at the Co Westmeath racecourse is not up to the required standard.

"They have the right to appeal but the committee went down there yesterday and decided the ambulance road is not up to the required health and safety standards," said the turf Club chief executive Denis Egan.

He added that the dramatic step is "regrettable" but the meeting scheduled for Kilbeggan in eight days time cannot now go ahead.