Inca the brave
Colm Murphy's mighty warrior dug deep at Leopardstown yesterday to repel Harchibald in the December Festival Hurdle, when it appeared that favourite was going to swamp him at the final flight.
Tony McCoy has struck up a fine partnership with the rising eight-year-old and there is little doubt he believes Brave Inca has all the qualities to land the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
"He's tough and has a lot of class," said McCoy.
"He's all heart, but lazy. I was hoping to get a lead, but prepared to take it as it came.
"Feathard Lady - Brave Inca's stable companion - will have to be very good to beat this fellow. If nothing had made the running, I would have been happy enough to do it myself.
"Races never go to a plan, so you just have to make the plan as you go along. I was happy enough to sit second to Newmill and take it from there.
"The ground will probably be a bit better at Cheltenham so that will help both of them and they make for an exciting race.
Steady rain throughout the morning, and into the afternoon, made conditions very testing and you have to be able to battle in conditions like that.
It was Brave Inca, rather than his far classier opponent, who was prepared to bite the bullet.
Newmill, taking into account he was the total outsider, ran a cracking race from the front and McCoy had to get serious with Brave Inca - who threw in a couple of untidy leaps - to go and get him.
Brave Inca finally mastered Newmill, heading to the final flight, but Harchibald had now improved from being well off the pace, and looked certain to score.
Harchibald still appeared to be full of running at the back of the flight, but a couple of strides later hit the proverbial wall.
Brave Inca, typically, was responding gallantly to the powerful McCoy treatment and Paul Carberry had to go for everything on Harchibald. But the response was disappointing and Brave Inca was three lengths to the good at the death.
Colm Murphy, who learned much of his trade with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle, is a man clearly destined for the top and was coolness personified.
Said Murphy: "I left it to Tony, but we were hoping to get a lead. If we didn't then Brave Inca would have made it.
"He's had a hard race today and will know it in the morning. The plan now is for him to come back here for the Irish Champion Hurdle."
Regarding Feathard Lady, so impressive when winning a Grade One at Sandown on Saturday, Murphy said: "The travelling took a lot out of her, but if right she will also run in the Irish Champion."
Carberry came up with the quote of the week when quizzed about Harchibald: "The operation went well, but the patient just died', he quipped. "I thought I was going to hack up going to the last, but the ground didn't help. He (Brave Inca) picked up and I didn't."
Commented Harchibald's trainer, Noel Meade: "I thought he'd win at the last, having considered not running him. He will be entered in the AIG (Irish Champion Hurdle), but I wouldn't run him again on that type of ground.
"The race is run and he got beat, but I was happy enough with the way he ran. Brave Inca has beaten us before and there is not an awful lot between them.
"I would have rather won but when you have a horse like this you don't want to give him a hard race on ground he does not like.
Ladbrokes reacted by promoting Feathard Lady (from 6's) to joint favourite with Harchibald (from 4's) at 5-1 for the Champion Hurdle. They tightened Brave Inca from 7-1 to 6-1, alongside Arcalis and Hardy Eustace.
Cashmans go 9-2 Harchibald (from 4's), 11-2 Hardy Eustace, 6-1 Arcalis 13-2 Brave Inca (from 7's), 7-1 Lingo, Feathard Lady.
