RACING:Brave Inca and Ruby Walsh brought the house down with a typically gutsy success in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The 11-year-old has only recently returned to the track following injury but looked as good as ever in holding off the strong-travelling Muirhead as the 11-4 second-favourite. River Liane was third with Sublimity fourth.
The winner’s stablemate Allez Petit Luis set off in front but was largely ignored by the rest of the field through the early stages.
The race began in earnest at the fourth-last where Hardy Eustace just went on from Brave Inca.
It was the same two touching down more or less together three out and also two from home with 2-1 favourite Sublimity still moving well a little off the pace on the long run to the final flight.
But the latter’s effort petered out on the rain-softened ground and it was Muirhead who posed the biggest threat as he swung along ominously under Barry Geraghty.
But the Colm Murphy-trained Brave Inca showed he is still as tough as they come as he found loads for pressure and left Walsh punching the air as they crossed the line.
Alexander Severus stayed on strongly in the hands of Andrew McNamara to take top honours in the opening Frank Conroy Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
The 9-2 chance travelled well throughout the two-mile contest and went in pursuit of clear leader Manor Park halfway up the straight.
Despite running slightly green in the closing stages, Edward O’Grady’s charge responded well to his rider’s urgings and got on top late on to score by a neck.
Hot favourite Time Electric parted company with Ruby Walsh down the back straight.
O’Grady said: “I told Andrew to follow Time Electric but thank goodness he didn’t!
“He is not a horse for the Triumph Hurdle but he is possibly one for the Fred Winter. He needs to have three runs for that, and getting another one into him won’t be a problem.”