Fairyhouse or Cheltenham next for Inca

Colm Murphy is weighing up the options for stable star Brave Inca after he made a satisfactory return at Punchestown yesterday.

The eight-year-old, winner of Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in March, finished an eight-and-a-quarter-length third behind Iktitaf in the Morgiana Hurdle on his autumnal bow.

“He’s come out of it extremely well,” said Murphy. “He’s in the field at the moment and I couldn’t be happier with him.

“He needed a run big time, especially on that ground, and the conditions just found out his fitness.

“He wasn’t beaten far by Iktitaf so I think he’s run a cracker.”

Murphy is now targeting either the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on December 3 or a return trip to Cheltenham on December 9.

He said: “I’m not sure where we will go now. He’ll be entered for the Hatton’s Grace and the Bula (Boylesport International Hurdle) and he could go for either of those.”

Murphy also issued an upbeat bulletin on fellow Champion Hurdle hope Feathard Lady.

The six-year-old is unbeaten in seven career starts but has been sidelined since winning the Christmas Hurdle at Sandown last December.

Feathard Lady strained a hind fetlock joint in January ruling her out of Cheltenham and then suffered a further setback when sustaining a ligament injury in September.

“She’s back walking and we hope to have her cantering before Christmas – it’s looking good,” Murphy added.

“We hope to run her in early February en route to Cheltenham.”