Murphy ponders Inca options

Trainer Colm Murphy was left with the pleasing dilemma of whether to have another go at the Champion Hurdle or switch to fences with the gutsy Brave Inca as the Punchestown Festival drew to a close yesterday.

The seven-year-old lived up to his name as he ended a frustrating season by landing a famous victory in the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle.

In doing so he turned the tables on Harchibald, who had finished just in front of him at Cheltenham when the pair were second and third to Hardy Eustace.

Cashmans left Brave Inca as their 5-1 favourite for next season’s Arkle Trophy while quoting him at 5-1 with a run for the Champion Hurdle.

“He’ll be schooled over fences before he goes out for the summer and I’m not sure whether he’ll run over fences or stay over hurdles next season – I’m spoilt for choice,” said Murphy.

“He’s had a long year but he’s as tough as nails and always finds more. It’s great to end the season like this.”

Brave Inca (2-1) was always at the head of the five-runner field as they went just a steady pace before new pilot Tony McCoy stepped it up. But he was the first of the principals to come under pressure.

Paul Carberry moved up from the back on Harchibald leaving the back straight and appeared to be going best, just as he had at Cheltenham.

But the jockey did not wait so long to make his challenge this time, delivering Harchibald at the last flight, where he was in the air with Brave Inca and Macs Joy as a thrilling spectacle developed.

Harchibald, sent of the 4-6 favourite, poked his nose in front, but Brave Inca flatly refused to give in and ground away all the way to the line to grab the verdict by a head. Macs Joy was a further length back in third.

“There was no point going out there and making a good gallop to set the race up for everybody else,” Murphy said.

“I spoke to AP and talked about plans and we wanted to leave enough in reserve for when Harchibald and Macs Joy challenged him.

“He keeps finding more and more, and I knew the only way to beat them was to get them into a battle.”

McCoy added: “He’s a tough horse with a lot of class and there’s no reason why he can’t go back and win the Champion Hurdle.”

Harchibald’s trainer Noel Meade said: “There is no question that changing the jockey has improved the winner. He was only just behind us at Cheltenham and he had the guy who people call ‘the best jockey ever’ on him today.

“Today was maybe my fault as I told Paul to go on after the last flight as there was so much written about him holding on to the horse after Cheltenham, but Paul still wanted to wait today.

“The stronger the gallop the better he is, so the pace of today’s race wouldn’t have suited, but the winner is a tough horse.”

Asian Maze evoked momories of the legendary Dawn Run for trainer Tom Mullins when routing the opposition for an impressive success in the Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.

The six-year-old mare (6-4) led from pillar to post to capture the Grade One event by a heavily eased-down five lengths.

She was almost a distance clear turning for home and Carberry then just nursed her down the run-in, allowing runner-up Kerryhead Windfarm to eat into her advantage.

“There were qualities of Dawn Run about her when she won in Fairyhouse,” said Mullins.

“I don’t think she will ever win a Champion Hurdle or a Gold Cup, but she put up Dawn Run-type performances in Fairyhouse, Aintree and again today.

“She’ll go home now for a long break and we will have to think about what to do next season, but she has been so good and improved so much. It’s tempting to go chasing next season, especially with a 7lb mares allowance in England, or we could stay over hurdles.

“She is not as big as Dawn Run, but I will keep on dreaming that she is as good as Dawn Run was.”

The great mare, the only horse to have won both the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was trained by Mullins’ father Paddy.

The showdown between Irish and Scottish Grand National winners Numbersixvalverde and Joes Edge failed to materialise as 7-1 chance Pay It Forward landed the betfair.com Novice Handicap Chase.

With Martin Brassil’s charge failing to land a blow, it was left to Ferdy Murphy’s Joes Edge to go closest, finishing two lengths back in second.

Keith Mercer’s mount looked likely to play a big part in the finish when eating into the winner’s advantage entering the home straight in the three-mile-one-furlong event.

However, despite keeping on well, he could not get any closer.

“He’s a good-ground horse and has been entered in everything for the last two months, but I’ve not been able to run him as the ground has been wrong,” said winning trainer Jessica Harrington.

“We’ll now look for some nice races on summer jumping ground – races like the Galway Plate or one of the nice ones at Market Rasen.”

Northumberland-based trainer Vicky Scott gave Britain its fifth win of the meeting as Snoopy Loopy, ninth in the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle, battled for a hard-fought victory in the Opel Novice Hurdle.

After the 16-1 shot’s two-and-a-half-length victory from The Railway Man, Scott said: “It was a dramatic race but the horse has done me proud. I bought him a year ago after he won a couple of point-to-points and he has been unlucky not to win more often under rules.”