Solerina set for quick reappearance
A game winner of the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle on testing ground at Fairyhouse on Sunday, Solerina could have her second outing of the week in the Grade Two contest over two and a half miles.
"She's entered in it but we'd have been an awful lot happier if we had another week to recover it always used to be two weeks," said trainer James Bowe's son and assistant Michael.
"We have just less than a week but we'll make a decision on Friday morning. It's unfortunate because nothing else really suits her over Christmas and at Cheltenham."
Solerina's neck victory over Golden Cross took her career successes to 20, but Bowe ranks it as one of her very finest.
"It was one of her best performances ever because it didn't come easy and she had to fight hard for it," he added. "I thought we had lost and I was close to tears when she held on like that to win."
The mare is now eight years old but Bowe has no retirement date in mind at present. He added: "This could possibly be her last season but nothing is written in stone she'll give off the signals when it's time to call it a day."
Meanwhile Colm Murphy is targeting the Bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle with Brave Inca after he finished a narrow third at Fairyhouse.
A winner at Punchestown in November, the seven-year-old was beaten just over a length by Solerina on Sunday.
Murphy reports Brave Inca to be in fine form after the outing and will gear him towards the Grade One event at Leopardstown on December 29.
"He's come out of it absolutely grand and we are delighted with him," said the County Wexford-based handler.
"He's in the field now and doesn't look to have even had a run.
"It was a carbon-copy of last year's run when he hated the ground and never really travelled or jumped but at the same time he ran an absolute cracker considering all that.
"He's sure to come on for that and the run will only bring him on in leaps and bounds. All being well, the plan is to go Leopardstown over Christmas."
