Inca to brave it over hurdles
Trainer Colm Murphy was thinking about letting the seven-year-old tackle the bigger obstacles this season but he is now likely to have another crack at the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.
Brave Inca finished just half a length behind Hardy Eustace in the Cheltenham showpiece last year and Murphy believes he could go a couple of places better this time.
“I had a meeting last week with the owners. We sat down and decided we would stay hurdling for one more year,” said Murphy.
“We will probably go novice chasing the following year. He has such a good chance in the Champion this year - if things went his way he would be one of the principals.”
Brave Inca put in a string of good performances last season, finishing second in four of his seven starts, before winning the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
Murphy continued: “We were unlucky all year with him, we were knocking on the door. It was the reward he deserved really at Punchestown after a long year - he deserved the win.”
Tony McCoy was aboard Brave Inca at Punchestown after taking over from regular pilot Barry Cash and Murphy is hoping to extend the relationship wherever possible.
“If Tony is available, he will have the ride but I’m not sure what his commitments will be to Jonjo (O’Neill) and JP (McManus, McCoy’s retained owner) so I suppose that’s a little bit up in the air.
“But if he’s available he got on so well with him and would probably ride again.”
Brave Inca won the 2004 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before tackling the best company last term and Murphy hopes his charge has learnt from his experiences.
He added: “We hope (he is still improving). He’s only seven this year and was a novice last year.
“He summered really well and has been back in about six weeks now and he’s absolutely thriving.”
Brave Inca is a general 8-1 chance for the 2006 Champion Hurdle.
