A dire weather forecast for Punchestown today could have a major say in the scale of Brave Inca's task when the champion hurdler makes his comeback appearance in Sunday's feature event at the Co Kildare track.
A total of seven horses, including Brave Inca, remain in the Maplewood Developments Morgiana Hurdle, now a Grade One prize, after yesterday's forfeit stage but the strength of opposition to Colm Murphy's star performer is still to be determined.
Central to plans could be the impact of today's weather with the Punchestown authorities fearing up to an inch of rain on top of ground that is already officially soft.
"The forecast is horrendous and they're telling us to expect between half an inch and an inch of rain," reported the track manager Richie Galway yesterday. "We are currently soft, yielding to soft in places, and it will not be able to take quite a lot. It's a mixed bag for the rest of the week but we will have to see what happens on Wednesday."
Very testing conditions may see the likes of Harchibald and Hardy Eustace, two old rivals of Brave Inca, switched to other targets with Hardy Eustace's trainer Dessie Hughes describing a trip to Ascot for the Coral Hurdle on Saturday as "50-50".
Noel Meade has also left in his progressive Iktitaf but original plans for that horse were to wait for the Hatton's Grace Hurdle over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse at the start of next month.
That race is also an option for the star stayer Asian Maze but her trainer, Tom Mullins, yesterday didn't rule out the mare taking up the Morgiana option instead for her first start since finishing last of 15 at Auteuil in late May.
"Nothing really came to light after that race but she is in great form now and ready for a race," Mullins said. "I left her in because I thought the Punchestown race might cut up more than it has. But then this weather could play havoc with everyone." He added: "It would be nice to have a go at some of these Champion Hurdle horses just to see if we should take a different route or train her for the Champion. It's possible she could run on Sunday but I won't make a final decision until Friday morning."
Colm Murphy has already confirmed Brave Inca is on course to try to secure back-to-back Morgiana victories. Last year his opposition included the subsequent Champion Chaser Newmill who again figures among the entries.
Brave Inca is as low as 6 to 4 favourite with Paddy Power in ante-post betting for the Morgiana with both that firm and Cashmans rating Iktitaf a doubtful starter. Harchibald is a 7 to 4 next best with Powers but the Cork firm rate Asian Maze the main threat to Brave Inca at 5 to 2.
A total of 11 horses remain in the Grade Two Volkswagen Craddockstown Chase on Sunday including the highly-rated Conna Castle and Glenfinn Captain from the Tom Taaffe yard. "The plan is to run Glenfinn Captain," confirmed JP McManus's racing manager Frank Berry yesterday.
Downpatrick: McCoy takes five
Tony McCoy goes to Downpatrick today where he will team up with five horses owned by JP McManus, reports Brian O'Connor.
McCoy kickstarts with the Christy Roche-trained Care And Share in the maiden hurdle and the six-year-old has the winning of this. Roche also supplies Cool Running in the Beginners Chase and a repeat of the effort that took this one into third behind Glenfinn Captain at Punchestown could well be good enough. McCoy looks to have it all to do in the second maiden hurdle where Streets Of Gold faces a tough task against both Good Thing and Orbit O'Gold. The latter wouldn't like very testing conditions though and the form of Good Thing's last run at Wexford behind Jaamid and Orge d'Ete has been working out very well. Outonhisown put in a nice run behind Wickford at Fairyhouse and can repel the newcomer Union Gap
