Colm Murphy is weighing up the options for stable star Brave Inca after he made a satisfactory return at Punchestown yesterday.

Feathard Lady is set for another spell on the sidelines after injuring a ligament.

COLM MURPHY has reported Brave Inca to have come out of his victory in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle “exceptionally well”.

Feathard Lady is unlikely to appear at the Punchestown Festival in April, but plans are fluid for her return to action next season.

BRAVE INCA will have one more serious gallop before travelling to Cheltenham in his bid to justify favouritism in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on March 14.

BRAVE INCA is in cracking form as trainer Colm Murphy puts the finishing touches to his Champion Hurdle preparations.

Dual Smurfit Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace is down to 5-2 with totesport for a third success in the Cheltenham event after fellow Irish raider Feathard Lady was finally ruled out.

HARDY EUSTACE was reported to be in fine shape ahead of the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle on Sunday.

Feathard Lady is facing a crucial week in her race against time to be fit for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

HARCHIBALD, runner-up in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle last spring, has been ruled out of a repeat bid on the day that 35 entries were announced for this year’s renewal on March 14.

Colm Murphy hopes to know more in the next week about the prospects of his unbeaten Feathard Lady making it to Cheltenham for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

Colm Murphy has issued an upbeat bulletin on Feathard Lady after X-rays on her injured leg came back clear.

FEATHARD LADY, the 7-2 favourite for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, could miss the Festival, having pulled out lame yesterday morning.

Feathard Lady, ante-post favourite for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle, has been ruled out of the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle later this month.

THE lunacy of long-range ante-post betting for punters on National Hunt racing was surely never better illustrated than by the problems of Kicking King, Harchibald and Inglis Drever over the last few days.

The French Furze could attempt to take some more notable scalps in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown later this month.

NOEL MEADE believes it will be a “miracle” if Harchibald runs again this season after undergoing an operation to remove a piece of wood or birch lodged in his leg.

IF ever a horse was aptly named it is surely Brave Inca.

FEATHARD LADY stormed to the forefront of the Smurfit Champion Hurdle picture as she extended her unbeaten run to seven under a peach of a ride from Ruby Walsh in the Stan James Christmas Hurdle at Sandown yesterday.

Feathard Lady stormed to the forefront of the Smurfit Champion Hurdle picture as she extended her unbeaten run to seven under a peach of a ride from Ruby Walsh in the Stan James Christmas Hurdle at Sandown.

THE talented David Casey has real prospects of enjoying a treble at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

WE round off the pre-Christmas fare in Ireland this weekend with two rather disappointing meetings at Navan and Thurles and if the expenses haven’t been accumulated by now then it is probably all too late!

RUBY WALSH was to the fore again at Punchestown yesterday when partnering the Martin Brassil-trained mare Barrack Buster to a convincing win in the Total Events Rental Hurdle.

BARRY GERAGHTY will not have enjoyed watching the results as they came in from Limerick yesterday.