RACING:IT WAS a good job for those worried about their tough image there was plenty of rain at Leopardstown yesterday to cover up a distinctly dewy-eyed reaction to Brave Inca landing the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle.

The veteran star, starting at 11 to 4, won the €120,000 highlight by three-quarters of a length from Muirhead after a rousing battle that provided a perfect result to an unlikely comeback from injury.

Brave Inca spent a year and a half on the sidelines before returning to action in November. Two runs later, the 2006 Champion Hurdle hero sent his army of fans into raptures with a 10th Grade One victory that brought his career earnings crashing through the million euro barrier.

“He’s a great horse, answers every call,” beamed champion jockey Ruby Walsh who, remarkably, was winning Ireland’s most prestigious hurdle race for the first time.

Brave Inca’s trainer Colm Murphy usually displays a calm exterior typical of the accountant he is qualified to be.

But even the Wexford handler admitted to emotion at his star’s latest success.

“If you’d told me a couple of years ago he would be winning another Irish Champion Hurdle I’d have laughed. I’m actually in shock right now.

“This is a proper fairytale. He is just pure guts. It was a slog out there and they were queuing up behind.

“But he is hard to get past,” he said. “It is incredible to think what he has done and how he has put us on the map.

“He is unbelievable and is one in a million. He is as tough as nails and was pricking his ears going to the last and had plenty left in the tank.”

Brave Inca’s previous win in the race in 2006 preceded a memorable success at Cheltenham, but bookmakers don’t think there will be another fairytale in March.

He is still available at 25 to 1 for the Champion Hurdle.

Murphy won’t make a call on whether the horse will run in that or in the World Hurdle until closer to the time.

However, the horse that rolled back the years yesterday won’t be any back number wherever he goes.