Colm Murphy has opened up the intriguing likelihood of a return clash between the 2006 champion hurdler Brave Inca and his Cheltenham conqueror from earlier in the month, Sublimity, at the Punchestown festival. Brian O'Connorreports

With last year's winner Macs Joy also being targeted at the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle on April 27th, and Hardy Eustace another intended runner, the two mile Grade One looks like providing a spectacular end of season finale.

Bookmaker reaction was to install Sublimity as an 11 to 8 favourite to confirm Cheltenham form with Cashmans making Brave Inca a 5 to 2 shot and Macs Joy 11 to 4.

Hardy Eustace is the outsider of the top quartet on 4 to 1.

But yesterday's significant news came from Murphy's Co Wexford yard where Brave Inca has emerged so well from his surprise defeat by Sublimity just over two weeks ago that his trainer has reversed an earlier decision not to prepare him for Punchestown.

"I originally said I probably wouldn't run him again as I made a mistake in running him there last year. But he has come back so well after Cheltenham and he is so fresh in himself that I think I have no choice but to run him at Punchestown now," said Murphy.

"I'm thrilled to bits with him at the moment so we probably will run him. He went so fast from a long way out with Hardy Eustace at Cheltenham and he has beaten everything we thought he had to beat so, in fairness, he ran a blinder.

"Compared to last year I can't believe how well he has come out of it. Ground permitting, he will run but I haven't given his jockey a thought as yet because we weren't originally going," he added.

Brave Inca has three lengths to make up on Sublimity who sprang a 16 to 1 shock under jockey Philip Carberry who isn't overly-concerned about the new champion's lack of winning form around the Co Kildare track.

"He has run a couple of times at Punchestown and not delivered.

"He is probably a little better going left-handed rather than right but it shouldn't be too big a problem. And he has been in great form since his last race," Carberry said yesterday.

Macs Joy, who beat Brave Inca at Punchestown last year after finishing runner-up at Cheltenham, will bypass Aintree and wait for a repeat bid, according to trainer Jessica Harrington.

"He's in very good form and I was toying with the idea of running him at Aintree but it would only be 13 days between both races and it's too close together so we will concentrate on Punchestown," she said.

With Iktitaf, still going okay at Cheltenham when falling at the third last, also in the ACC boil-up, it could yet turn into an epic highlight on the final day of the National Hunt festival.

The in-form Philip Carberry is gearing up for another possible day in the limelight and yesterday gave an upbeat bulletin on Point Barrow's preparation for the Aintree Grand National.

"He ran well in a hurdle race recently and ran in the same race before winning the Irish National last year. You couldn't have asked for better than that and going to Liverpool after running over hurdles is a sort of natural progression these days," he said.

Point Barrow, who also holds an Irish National entry, is more likely to be a first Aintree National ride for Carberry, whose brother Paul won on Bobbyjo in 1999 and whose sister Nina is being lined up to ride A New Story in the big race. Paul is expected to ride Dun Doire this time.

"I've ridden over the fences a few times in other races," Carberry added.

"Point Barrow is a very safe jumper and the fences shouldn't be any more of a problem for him than the other runners."

The Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National will be run at Fairyhouse five days before the English version and there was support yesterday for the SunAlliance runner-up Snowy Morning who is now an 8 to 1 favourite with Boylesports to provide his trainer Willie Mullins with a first victory in the race.

Mullins also has the Thyestes winner Homer Wells to pick from in a strong team of possibles for the €250,000 Easter Monday feature.

BETTING: (Boylesports): 8 Snowy Morning, 10 Aces Four, 12 Homer Wells, Distant Thunder, Whyso Mayo and Point Barrow 14 Juveigneur, Cane Brake, Joes Edge, Gazzas Girl, 16 Bar.