Brave Inca's trainer Colm Murphy has admitted he is "afraid of my life" of the defending champion Solerina in Sunday's Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse.
Solerina is in pursuit of a third win in a row in the Grade One weekend feature and last year the prolific mare had six lengths in hand of Brave Inca.
Since then the Murphy-trained horse has won at the Punchestown Festival under Tony McCoy and the British champion jockey also won on Brave Inca in last month's Morgiana at Punchestown.
McCoy will be on board again on Sunday and Brave Inca remains a solid 6 to 4 favourite with Paddy Power for the Hatton's Grace. However, Murphy is not underestimating the challenge that Solerina again represents. "He has it all to do to beat her," the Co Wexford trainer said yesterday. "It will be two and a half miles on her sort of ground and she will be very hard to beat."
Murphy added: "I would love to take her on over two miles because that is our fellow's trip but over two and a half I'm afraid of my life of Solerina.
"Having said that our horse appears to be definitely a stronger horse this year. He seems more keen. Tony knows him well now and they suit each other. The results speak for themselves."
Solerina remains the strongest challenge to Brave Inca's position as favourite and is a 2 to 1 shot with Back In Front, runner-up to Solerina in the Lismullen at Navan, next best at 3 to 1.
However, the market mover with Powers has been John Murtagh's intended mount Golden Cross who has been slashed with the firm from 12 to 1 into 7 to 1.
Golden Cross hasn't run over hurdles in almost 21 months, but the Michael Halford horse will go to Fairyhouse in winning form having picked up the November Handicap on the flat at Leopardstown.
Another market mover is O'Muircheartaigh who is now an even hotter favourite for the Bet@Bluesquare Royal Bond Hurdle. Edward O'Grady's horse is now odds on at 4 to 5 having opened with Powers at 5 to 4.
His opposition could yet include a trio of Noel Meade horses as the champion trainer hasn't ruled out sending Nicanor for the race alongside Iktitaf and possibly Mr Nosie.
"He came down at Navan on Sunday when he looked like holding a winning chance so we will have to see. It would mean going back to two miles and these good bumper horses usually like two and a half. But he is a nice horse with a future," Meade said yesterday.
"Iktitaf will definitely run and I would describe Mr Nosie as 60-40 to run," added Meade who won the race with Wild Passion last year.
Meade also reported that Harchibald is likely to run next in the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham in two weeks time instead of taking part in Sunday's Hatton's Grace.
"He came out of his last race great and there is a distinct possibility he will go for the Bula. The Hatton's Grace is over two and a half and so we thought we'd better leave it especially if the ground was soft," he said.
BETTING
Paddy Power: 6-4 Brave Inca, 2 Solerina, 3 Back In Front, 7 Golden Cross, 20 Newmill and Royal Paradise, 40 Ray Boy, 50 Yogi and Sh Boom.
