RACING:Former Champion Hurdle winner Brave Inca will head straight to the Morgiana Hurdle next month as the 10-year-old prepares to return from a 19-month absence. Colm Murphy's stable star has not been seen in racecourse action since the 2007 Punchestown Festival due to injury.
"It's more than likely that we will now have him out for the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown," said Murphy.
"We were hoping to run him before that but that isn't going to happen now so we will start him off back in this race as we have done in the past. He seems very good and I'm very happy with him at home.
"As far as jockeys go, I would say it will have to be a case of taking each race as it comes."
Murphy is hoping the testing conditions do not hinder Megans Joy too much when she lines up in the Grade Three Anglo Irish Bank Hurdle at Down Royal tomorrow.
The six-year-old has won six of her 12 starts, five of which have come on ground good or better.
Murphy has taken plenty of encouragement from her latest victory in heavy ground at Tipperary, but still believes she needs a quicker surface to be seen at her best.
"Megans Joy is very well and I have been delighted with her work at home since Tipperary," said Murphy.
"Heavy ground is always a worry with her, but I guess it's less of a worry now after she won at Tipperary.
"I would say she is definitely better on better ground but I can't say she doesn't go in soft ground now.
"There are only the four runners but on paper, it does look a really hot little race. At least we are race fit, which might give us a little advantage."
Champion Novice Hurdle winner Jered is forced to concede weight all round on his seasonal reappearance, while former Champion Bumper winner Cork All Star also takes his chance. Whatuthink completes the line-up.