Horse Racing: Brave Inca will try to reclaim his status as the leading Irish hope for Cheltenham's SunAlliance Hurdle when he runs at Naas on Sunday.

The Colm Murphy-trained star novice was cut to as low as 8 to 1 for the SunAlliance after winning the Deloitte at Leopardstown nine days ago, but is now being challenged in the ante-post market by Sadlers Wings after that horse's impressive performance at Navan yesterday.

Brave Inca holds a number of festival entries, including the Supreme Novices' and the Coral Cup, but Murphy confirmed yesterday the SunAlliance is the most likely race for him.

"More than likely he will run in that but we do want to give him another race beforehand as he takes plenty of work," the Gorey-based trainer said.

Brave Inca is one of 19 entered for Sunday's Johnstown Hurdle over two and a half miles and Murphy added: "He probably will run as it was always the plan to give him one more race and he does take plenty of getting ready. He has been in serious form since the last day."

Newmill, runner-up in the Deloitte, also features in the entries as does the highly-regarded Noel Meade-runner, Mark The Man, and the leading four-year old, Top Strategy.

However, possibly the most intriguing entrant is the triple-bumper winner, Forty Licks, whose performance at Navan two days ago provoked a glowing review from trainer, Edward O'Grady.

"As nice a horse as I have seen in a long time," O'Grady said after the race, and he has followed that up with entries this weekend in both the Johnstown and the maiden hurdle at Naas.

"I haven't made my mind up yet what I'm going to do but this leaves me with options. I will have to brood on it for a while. He has come out of the Navan race reasonably well," said O'Grady yesterday.

Native Upmanship features among the 11 entries for the Newlands Chase as he continues his build-up to the Queen Mother Champion Chase but Le Coudray, quoted as low as 20 to 1 for the two miler championship, is most unlikely to run in the middle day's festival highlight.

"He is not back riding out yet after the Hennessy and there are no firm plans. We will look at the National and the Cathcart at Cheltenham but nothing has been decided," Christy Roche said.

Another Newlands entry is the Grand National hope Alexander Banquet, but he has the alternative option of Saturday's Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.

The other possible Cheltenham trial at Naas is the Nas Na Riogh Chase, where last weekend's Flyingbolt Chase principals, True Blue Victory and Jim, could clash again.

Meanwhile, Martinstown, the hot favourite for Cheltenham's Champion Bumper, will be ridden at the festival by the leading flat rider, Fran Berry.

The news follows reports that Martinstown's main rival in the ante-pot market, Blazing Liss, could be ridden by the champion flat jockey, Michael Kinane.

The Derby and Arc winning rider is in the frame to team up with the John Kiely-trained mare if commitments in Hong Kong allow.

However, Kinane's former great rival Christy Roche has moved to end any uncertainty over who will ride the impressive Martinstown, whose two wins to date have placed him at the head of the betting for Cheltenham.

"I've been under pressure on this one with quite a few lads ringing up looking to ride him but I'm going with the man who rode my very first winner at Cheltenham," said Roche yesterday.

Berry may be better known as a flat jockey but he teamed up with the Roche-trained Khayrawani to win the 1999 Coral Cup after being beaten into second in the race the year before.

"I'm going for Fran because he is happy to take his time in a race and if a horse needs to be ridden with balls of steel, he is the man," Roche added.