Inca wins Novice Hurdle

Brave Inca pipped Royal Shakespeare in a thrilling finish to the Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Royal Shakespeare looked like claiming the Grade One prize for Lincolnshire trainer Steve Gollings as he swept into the lead under Barry Geraghty after the second-last.

But first Royal Alphabet and then Brave Inca put in strong challenges and in a ding-dong battle it was the latter who prevailed by a short head for trainer Colm Murphy and jockey Barry Cash.

The winner was supplementing his victory in the Letheby and Christopher Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.