Leopardstown Preview: Sequels are rarely better than originals but that won't matter to Brave Inca fans if Tony McCoy can guide the horse to victory in tomorrow's feature at Leopardstown, the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle.
The principals from last year's epic finish - Macs Joy, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace - return again and are joined by Golden Cross who will be ridden by the three-time Derby winning jockey Johnny Murtagh.
Golden Cross is another Grade One winner over this distance at Leopardstown but whether the trip will suit him against this quality of opposition at their best is debatable.
Murtagh at least though has the hope that neither of the big three are likely to be at that peak level just yet.
The focus the Hardy Eustace team are placing on a third Championship in a row at Cheltenham in March is illustrated by the vital blinkers being kept in reserve for the biggest day of all.
Macs Joy was one of the first to succumb to the bug that ravaged Jessica Harrington's yard last October but significantly the team appear to be coming back to form.
Harrington has already stated she is happier with last year's AIG hero than she has been for some time but he may not be 100 per cent just yet.
In the circumstances then, the least number of question marks appear to centre around Brave Inca who comes here on the back of a course and distance success at Christmas and who has only been beaten once in four previous races for McCoy.
No jockey is better from the front than the 10 times British champion but if something else elects to make the pace then so much the better.
Come Cheltenham there is also growing confidence in the Brave Inca camp that he can reverse last year's form with Hardy Eustace. With that in mind he looks an obvious favourite for this weekend.
The Baileys Arkle has attracted the cream of Ireland's novice talent but not Ruby Walsh, who is out for a month following a bad fall at Gowran on Thursday.
David Casey takes his place on Missed That who can score another course and distance Grade One at the expense of Justified, who looks like he may prefer going right-handed and Nickname, whose wide margin wins to date have been on very soft ground.
Missed That in contrast looks a different horse to the one that made such a disappointing chasing debut and the latent talent that saw him win last year's Festival Bumper despite pulling like a train is clearly coming through over fences too.
The Noel Meade team continue to be in flying form and that can continue tomorrow with Nicanor in the Golden Cygnet Hurdle.
He was beaten at 1 to 6 last time but that was a slowly run two miles and the extra four furlongs, plus the 7lb pull with Travino, look sure to make Nicanor more competitive.
Better ground will suit Zum See in the Listed handicap chase and also Brave Inca's stable companion Sher Why Not in the opener.
This impressive Punchestown bumper winner has been injury plagued but also possesses point-to-point experience and was completely unsuited to the heavy ground at Down Royal in November.
The Group Three winner Bob's Pride is an interesting recruit to jumping but he hasn't run in eight months and might just need the experience.
