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RIP today
BRAVE INCA on Tuesday replaced Sublimity at the head of the market for Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle after trainer Colm Murphy declared the 2006 Champion Hurdle winner "good and ready" for Sunday’s race.A total of 13 possibles remained in the Toshiba-sponsored race at the five-day stage, includingthree previous winners of the Champion Hurdle, and market moves suggest that Brave Inca, who will be ridden by Ruby Walsh, will start favourite on Sunday, just has he did when winning the race three years ago.
Brave Inca had been an 8-1 best price with Ladbrokes on the opening show.
Murphy admitted on Tuesday he was not surprised about the recent market support, believing that Brave Inca will handle conditions at Leopardstown, which were on Tuesday described as heavy, better than his rivals.
"I suppose the way the ground is, it doesn’t surprise me that much," Murphy said. "It’s probably not ideal for us, but he is one of the horses who actually goes on it. They didn’t go much of a gallop on the ground the last day and it turned into a benefit for those horses with a bit of pace but we galloped all the way to the line and didn’t have a hard race. He bounced out of it very well."
Preparations for Sunday were completed at home on Tuesday and it’s all systems go. Murphy added: "He got a blow this morning over a mile and touch wood he’s good and ready for Sunday."
Sublimity, who provided Rob Hennessy with his first winner in that Grade 1 event when he accounted for Won In The Dark, is on target but the possibility of heavy ground is a concern for both Hennessy and Sabrina Harty.
Hennessy said: "We gave him a spin on Saturday morning alongside Donegal and he worked very well. However, I wouldn’t want him to have a very hard race on heavy ground with the Champion Hurdle only six weeks away. If it was heavy, I’d say that we would probably leave a decision until the last minute and have a chat. But I don’t think that it will be heavy as Leopardstown is a good-draining track and we’ve had a good, drying day today."
Harty is thinking the same way. "The ground is a worry to me as it’s not a great forecast. If it’s soft to heavy, I don’t think he’ll run as it would probably be a backward step if we ran him on very soft ground. We are half thinking of the Red Mills or Sandown in a few weeks so we’ll keep a close eye on the weather."
Sizing Europe will bid to put his below-par display in last month’s Festival Hurdle behind him on Sunday when he seeks to repeat last year’s win in the race.
Sizing Europe: ‘seems in good form’
The disappointing 2-1 favourite in last year’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle started at the head of affairs in the betting market again last month but could finish only fifth behind Sublimity over this course and trip.
"That’s all behind us now and let’s hope he puts in a better display on Sunday," said trainer Henry De Bromhead, who has left in the 97-rated Oscillating Oscar. "I didn’t think they went very fast the last day, which is not ideal for him, and he was also sore the day before which might have had some effect but I’d be putting it down to a slow run race.
"He seems in good form and we’ll find out on Sunday where we’re going afterwards. The ground will be a lot softer than Christmas but he had a good run on a similar surface when he ran second to Hardy Eustace at Punchestown in November so hopefully he’ll be okay."
I couldn’t fancy Brave Inca here at all. He was given a good but really hard ride by Ruby last time out and looked very very one paced.
Even with Sublimity and Won in the Dark likely to miss the race it doesn’t make him an automatic winner.
If the do pull out Sizing Europe will definitaly handle the ground and this could be a steering job. He’s gone from an opening 7/1 and as low as 7/2 and rightly so IMO
Ok there was definitaly something amiss with him last time out but if it was a serious problem I doubt he would be turning up here.
A slogfest.
The gutsiest battler will win the day.
I guess that rules out Sizing Europe.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
There goes my few quid
Seems the vet turned up out of the blue Not likely we will be seeing him in March. Hope Muirhead wins now and saves my bacon…..if he’s a non runner please don’t tell me Can’t say I’m surprised by Sizing Europe’s withdrawal.
Sublimity does handle the ground, but I”m sure he’d prefer it on the good side. Mr. Carberry’s patient approach might see the horse home – just !
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Thats a shame
Oh well. Hope he makes a speedy recoveryI’ll have another look at the race this weekend and see if there is anything work backing from my side.
Sublimity, Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace………have we been here before
I’m still trying ot workout why Brave Inca is fav
It’s been 2 years since Sublimity beat him in the Champion Hurdle and 4 weeks ago he left him for dead in the Festival Hurdle.
Granted Brave Inca likes heavy ground but it must be said Sublimity wasn’t inconvenienced by it in his race prior to his Champion Hurdle victory.
Another thing in Sublimity’s favour is some horses actually prefer softer ground as they get older. I just can’t see Brave Inca reversing the form and if anything I would think the younger Muirhead who has also won on heavy could improve past him.
We’ll find out on Sunday but I think the bookies have this race ass for elbow.
I’m not convinced by the argument that suggests Brave Inca is suited by Heavy ground. Although he has won on such going, they have been amongst his least impressive performances, and I figure there must be some play in opposing him.
I’ve ended-up dutching Beau Michael and River Liane, to small stakes.
I think the Brave Inca- heavy ground thing is that it will blunt the speed of some of the younger horses and make it a slog which would suit him nowadays more than others. He too is better on better, but they probably hope he’s less hampered than most. Sublimity may have won on soft ground prior to his 07 win but not in a race of this class and I’m surprised given what the trainer has said all winter that he is running him because if he’s got a chance of winning at Cheltenham, why risk bottoming him out here?
I kind of agree with Grasshopper at looking at some of the lesser horses who will definitely go on it and River Liane did dot up last year on very heavy and was 2nd fav for the Fred Winter, though ultimately didn’t run his race there. It would be a shock, but not the biggest if he found a big run tomorrow.Unfortunately I missed the inflated prices early in the week, but I still think Muirhead is overpriced at 9/2.
I don’t rate anything outside the top 4 in the market as being competitive in this class on this ground.Of the top 4, I think Hardy Eustace is a long way past his best and a race of this class looks beyond him.
To me, Brave Inca looks very much underpriced. I think similar comments to Hardy apply to Brave Inca, maybe not to the same extent. I think he has a lot to prove as regards how much of his old ability he still has. Just over 2/1 strikes me as taking way too much on trust.
Sublimity’s price looks close to correct, I don’t believe that there is much evidence which show he is heavily inconvenienced by soft ground. I think he’s the best horse in the race and the most likely winner.
Muirhead looks like he will have the race run to suit, and will handle the conditions. With most of the opposition not running in optimal circumstances, it seems to me that 9/2 represents value.
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Sublimity is by far the likeliest winner for me, having had somewhat of a ‘normal’ season by last year’s standards. I’ve doubled him up with Jayo for now, but can see me having a bigger interest if he doesn’t shorten too much.
Having had a look at this race I have to go with Muirhead and Sublimity as my two against the field. I do like the look of Muirhead though, he will act on the ground, is improving and I think has a fair chance here. A big race looks on the cards to me and if I do bet it will probably be on him although I would have a saver on Sublimity.
Mike.Sublimity although into his 4th season over hurdles has had only 11 runs, it’s feasible to say we may not have seen the best of him yet, his last run was superb and he’ll be spot on today, i see no reason why anything will turn the form around from the last race.
Hardy Eustace and Brave Inca can’t seriously be considered in my eyes, they aren’t going to improve now and unless sublimity is off his game they will struggle.
Beau Michael and River Liane have too much on their plate early in their career here i feel and if there is one else it should be Murihead who has shown more than that pair to date for a lightly raced hurdler. The general 7/2 now though doesn’t look attractive.
Not likely we will be seeing him in March. Hope Muirhead wins now and saves my bacon…..if he’s a non runner please don’t tell me 
Oh well. Hope he makes a speedy recovery
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