Today's Leopardstown Preview:A King George victory on Kauto Star must have been Ruby Walsh's banker Christmas present but Tony McCoy's cross-channel commitment to JP McManus today means the Irish champion jockey gets an unexpected bonus when he teams up with Brave Inca for the first time at Leopardstown.
Partnering a reigning champion hurdler is the sort of spare ride jockeys dream about anyway, but even Walsh, who has seen it all, will be wondering before the bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle how the Brave Inca "experience" will unfold.
At this stage of his career, there's hardly any other way to describe Brave Inca's remorseless grind through the very best that is thrown against him, and even though only three opponents line up this afternoon, the presence of Iktitaf among them means this will be a mouth-watering clash.
Certainly, McCoy will be looking on enviously from Newbury, where he is due to ride Wichita Lineman in the Challow Hurdle, and no doubt he will have told his great friend and rival what to expect - which with Brave Inca means hard work and unbelievable appetite for a scrap.
That was emphasised yet again earlier in the month when he won the Hatton's Grace with his ears pricked after having had McCoy at full pelt for much of the race.
The initial fear after was that he might have had too hard a race, but hardly surprisingly, the horse has emerged bouncing.
"I don't think he was doing much at Fairyhouse and he has come out of that very well," said his trainer, Colm Murphy, yesterday. "He seems in good order and I would say he's in the same sort of shape as he was when he won at Christmas last year. He's certainly as fit as we can get him at this stage.
"Unfortunately Tony has to ride at Newbury but we have always said we will use the best available, and Ruby was free. I'm not looking further ahead than Friday but as regards jockeys, it is always a race-by-race situation."
The task for Walsh and Brave Inca today will be to turn around a margin of over eight lengths with Iktitaf from the Morgiana at Punchestown last month, but Murphy said: "He's got a good bit fitter since then and he's had the extra run so we're hopeful."
Iktitaf will bid to further enhance Noel Meade's Champion Hurdle team but does look likely to face a much sharper Brave Inca, and though Walsh might come back sweating, he should also be smiling.
Leopardstown's main support is the Listed mares hurdle, won last year by Celestial Wave, who looked a good thing beforehand. And if Blazing Sky can run up to her official 135 rating, the same comment should apply.
Frank McGuinness's horse had Celestial Wave and Brogella behind her when scoring at Punchestown last month, and though Blazing Sky was beaten quite a way in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, this looks a much easier task.
Philip Fenton was short of luck with the Paddy Power Chase favourite Sher Beau on Wednesday but the Co Tipperary-based trainer could bounce back with a valuable double today.
Arrive Sir Clive's second to De Valira at Fairyhouse got a Grade Two boost here during the week and this bumper and point-to-point winner will be hard to beat in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle.
Fenton's Son Of Oscar faces a tougher-looking task in the two-mile conditions hurdle against the likes of Pedrobob and the impressive Thurles winner Eagle's Pass. There was, however, a lot to like about the way Son Of Oscar battled through the Cork mud on his last start, and that resolve will be a plus again.
Another trainer out of luck in the Paddy Power was Robert Tyner, whose Sound Witness crashed out early. Tyner's Another Nation has chances in the Opportunity Chase but his jumping has let him down in the past. Niall Madden's Sherkin Island ran better last time out than his final placing suggests and looks a real contender.
Noel Meade's Gary Brady will hope to go one better than his Gowran debut in the bumper but another to watch is Arctic Bear, who hasn't run in over two years but was highly regarded.
