Brave Inca lands AIG

Brave Inca is clear favourite for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle after landing the AIG Europe sponsored Irish equivalent as Hardy Eustace trailed in last of the seven runners.

Tony McCoy had the locally owned syndicate horse up with the pace throughout and, with Hardy Eustace going out like a light two out, it was left to Macs Joy to throw down a serious challenge.

However Macs Joy came off the bridle at the last, and Brave Inca stayed on strongly on the run-in to beat last year´s winner by a length with Golden Cross a never dangerous four lengths back in third.

´He was very good today and I´ve always said the better the ground the better he´ll be. Physically he´s so much stronger than last year,´ said delighted trainer Colm Murphy.

Murphy has not yet discussed a possible replacement if McCoy is retained by J P McManus for Lingo at Cheltenham saying, ´We´ll cross that bridge when we come to it.´

Brave Inca is a top-priced 5/2 with Boylesports for Cheltenham, with Hardy Eustace out to 6/1 with Paddy Power and Cashmans go a best of 10/1 about Macs Joy.

Hardy Eustace was virtually pulled up in the straight and Conor O´Dwyer reported he was ´never happy.´ ´He was quite Flat and made a mistake which is not like him. There was just nothing there.´

Macs Joy and Sadlers Wings (fourth) are both on course for Cheltenham, with Barry Geraghty commenting, ´Macs Joy ran a great race and is well on the way back.´

Missed That is on course for an ´Arkle Chase´ double at Cheltenham in March after landing the Grade 1 Baileys-sponsored 2m1f novice in typically determined fashion.

A number of reputations were damaged with Nickname pulled up before three out and Justified dropping out tamely after relinquishing the lead on the home turn to finish third.

Missed That took a while to get into the thick of the action but gradually wore down Arteea, who briefly looked a winner early in the straight, to score by three quarters of a length.

´His jumping was a bit sticky early on but David (Casey) let him find his feet and gave him a super ride. He´s improving all the time and can go on better ground,´ said trainer Willie Mullins.

Last year´s Cheltenham Festival Bumper winner was cut in all bookmaker lists for the ´Arkle´ with Cashmans going 7/1 (from 10´s) and Grahams most impressed only offering 7/2 (from 12´s).

Nickname scoped abnormal afterwards and Conor O´Dwyer said, ´He hit the first fence down the back straight (fourth) and never travelled after that.´

Nicanor is 8/1 second favourite with Cashmans for the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle after making good use of a 14lb weight concession from Travino in the Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle.

The race was between the two inside the final half mile with Nicanor travelling by far the better, and Paul Carberry eventually eased his mount clear from before the last to score by 11 lengths.