RACING: Last season's star novice Brave Inca will take the first step towards a possible attempt at the Smurfit Champion Hurdle when he runs at Down Royal on Friday but his trainer believes it won't be the end of the world if he is beaten writes Brian O'Connor, Racing Correspondent.
The Cheltenham and Punchestown winner was one of only 11 horses left in Friday's Anglo Irish Bank Hurdle and, with the ground forecast to be "soft", it's all systems go for the Colm Murphy team.
"My biggest concern all along was that the going might be too quick. I'm not worried about soft ground because he has won on everything," said Murphy yesterday.
It will be the first run of the season for Brave Inca, who is as low as 12 to 1 in some books for Cheltenham, and a lot of improvement is expected for the outing.
"It will be a bonus if he wins. He will definitely need the run, especially on the soft, and it will probably find him out. But it's a nice race to start. He's in good form and should go close but it won't be the end of the world if he gets beaten," Murphy added.
Up against Brave Inca could be another Co Wexford-based entry Accordion Etoile who is rated higher than Brave Inca in the ratings.
Also in the entry list is the Swinton winner Macs Joy who returned to action on the flat at Navan behind Back In Front last month.
Friday's other highlight will be the Total Enjoyment's first start over hurdles in the Grade Three Scarvagh House Stud Mares Novice Hurdle.
Tom Cooper's Cheltenham bumper winner, already a 14 to 1 joint favourite with Cashmans for the Supreme Novices in March, is one of 19 remaining in the race.
The possible opposition includes The Screamer but another mare who could take up a different option is the high-class Mariah Rollins who is in the list for the Beginners Chase.
The weekend feature, however, is the James Nicholson Champion Chase on Saturday and one man eager to get to grips with the likely favourite, Beef Or Salmon, is Tom Taaffe, who is preparing Kicking King for the three-mile event.
Kicking King, an impressive winner of the National Lottery Agent Chase at Gowran last month, will be tackling three miles for the first time but his trainer is not overly concerned about his stamina.
"I'm happy and quite confident he won't have a problem with the trip but Saturday is very much a learning curve for us," Taaffe said yesterday.
"We haven't over-murdered him since the last day but I hope he is a bit better and he won't have any problem with the ground. I walked the track last week and it's in very good nick with the fences well presented," he added.
The Down Royal manager Michael Todd is not expecting a significant change from the current "soft" ground status by the weekend.
"We're supposed to get a little bit of rain on Wednesday but I don't see it changing much. It's beautiful ground at the moment. I'm thrilled with it," he said.
That will be good news for Beef Or Salmon's trainer Michael Hourigan who will be hoping for progress from the Gold Cup second favourite after his seasonal debut in the Munster National at Limerick.
"I would hope he has come on from that and he is in very good form. The ground will make no difference and as far as I know Timmy Murphy rides," Hourigan said yesterday.
With Nil Desperandum, the Munster National winner Colca Canyon and Harbour Pilot also likely to take up the big-race challenge, Beef Or Salmon faces a serious test.
Nil Desperandum also holds an entry in the Grade Three Killultagh Chase which has also attracted last season's Grade One novice winner Central House.
JAMES NICHOLSON CHAMPION CHASE: BETTING: Cashmans: 7-4 Beef Or Salmon, 5-2 Kicking King, 3 Harbour Pilot, 7 Nil Desperandum, 10 Colca Canyon, 14 Risk Accessor, 16 Cloudy Bays, 20 Bar.
