The Irish challenge at the Cheltenham Festival this season promises to be as thrilling as ever, if performances at Fairyhouse yesterday are any guide.
The Irish challenge at the Cheltenham Festival this season promises to be as thrilling as ever, if performances at Fairyhouse yesterday are any guide.
Trafford Lad, Hurricane Fly and Catch Me, winners of the three feature races, all signalled their well-being en route to the big championships in March, but it was an old-timer who offered the most surprising, and maybe most potent, threat to the home team.
Brave Inca, a former Champion Hurdle winner, had not run since April 2007 but put up a tremendous display to be second to rising star Catch Me in the two-and-a-half mile Hatton's Grace Hurdle and, even at 10, now has to be considered once again a contender for the big Cheltenham race. The Colm Murphy-trained gelding seemed to be a back number as far as the title was concerned after finishing third (2005), first (2006) and second (2007) but, considering he will strip a lot fitter after yesterday's outing, the target has to be another bid for Festival glory.
He may be aimed at a different title, however, as Murphy indicated his star might go for the World Hurdle. The trainer said: "He did all we could have asked of him. He travelled and jumped and it is hard to believe that was his first run back.
"We'll head for the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown and see where we go from there and, if he improves as much as I think he will, then he is really something to look forward to. Ruby Walsh rang me after the stayers' hurdle at Punchestown and said he definitely does stay."
Brave Inca and his old rival Hardy Eustace set a steady pace throughout and looked to have it between them in the straight before Andrew McNamara made his challenge on Catch Me.
Hardy Eustace began to tire after the second-last, leaving leaving Brave Inca, who had been off the track for 584 days, in front. However, Edward O'Grady's charge, four years younger than Brave Inca, wore him down to win by one-and-a-half lengths.
Earlier, Trafford Lad (5-2) kept his 100% record over fences with an impressive victory in the Drinmore Novices' Chase, perhaps the hottest novice chase staged this term. With highly rated Tranquil Sea and Forpaddytheplasterer among other young stars in the field, the winner was sure to be elevated to a prominent position in the market for the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham. He was awarded his first success over fences in the stewards' room but he looked a champion in he making this time as he came to take over from long-time leader, Forpaddytheplasterer, in the straight.
Forpaddytheplasterer was five-and-a-half lengths away in second and Rare Bob a further one-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.
Hurricane Fly justified 2-1 favouritism in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle after a prolonged tussle with Donnas Palm. Cousin Vinny, also trained by Willie Mullins, finished third after setting a moderate pace that produced the inevitable sprint finish.
Meanwhile, Madison du Berlais was reported "very well" after his gruelling victory in Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. The seven-year-old improved on his fourth in the race to Denman 12 months earlier when winning by three lengths from Air Force One.
