The coveted ride on the champion hurdler Brave Inca could become available at Punchestown on Sunday after developments yesterday indicated Tony McCoy will be required to ride Clan Royal at Aintree instead of travelling to Ireland.
Clan Royal, owned by McCoy's boss, JP McManus, is on target for another crack at the big Grand National fences in the Becher Chase and although firm weekend arrangements have yet to be made, it currently looks like the champion jockey will be on board the McManus runner.
A spokesman for the McManus team said yesterday that McCoy is "more than likely" to be in action in Liverpool. That would bring to an end a hugely successful seven race run where the jockey has teamed up with Brave Inca, a sequence that has yielded five victories including last March's epic success at the Cheltenham festival.
One of those wins was in last year's Morgiana Hurdle and the same Grade One Punchestown feature this weekend may well see just the fifth jockey to partner Brave Inca during his 24 race career to date.
However, the champion's trainer Colm Murphy is waiting to see how the situation unfolds before deciding on a possible substitute for McCoy, who on a return visit to the North yesterday drew a blank at Downpatrick despite having five opportunities.
"I hope Tony will be available but if he isn't, then we will use the best we can. I'm not too worried about a jockey. The horse is pretty straightforward and everybody knows him," Murphy said. "When things become clearer, I'll be ringing the owners and we will put our thinking caps on. But obviously I would like to know sooner rather than later."
Before McCoy, it was Barry Cash who moulded the emerging talent of Brave Inca and he rode him 13 times including when winning the Supreme at the 2003 festival. Kieren Gaule and the amateur PJ Colville both rode the horse twice.
Brave Inca traded as short as 11 to 8 yesterday in ante-post betting for the Morgiana as the champion gets his season under way. He is also a general 5 to 1 second favourite behind Detroit City for another title in March although some bookmakers believe he may not have as searching a test this weekend as he might have done.
Heavy rain yesterday made conditions at Punchestown testing and Harchibald's trainer Noel Meade has already stated he will not run his enigmatic star on bottomless ground.
Hardy Eustace, another horse that doesn't like heavy going, has an alternative engagement at Ascot on Saturday while a decision on Asian Maze's participation won't be made until tomorrow morning's declaration deadline.
The going at Punchestown yesterday was changed to heavy after persistent rain lashed the Co Kildare track for most of the day. At lunchtime, 16mms had already fallen although the forecast for the next couple of days is more encouraging with just showers expected. However, more rain is being forecast for Saturday night and it looks almost certain that conditions on Sunday will be very much on the testing side.
Beef Or Salmon will fly the Irish flag in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock and his trainer Michael Hourigan issued an upbeat bulletin yesterday after an encouraging work-out. "I'm very happy with him. He is in grand form," said the Co Limerick trainer.Sher Beau to kick-off season in style
Just four line up for today's €60,000 Clonmel Oil Chase, a race won in the recent past by War Of Attrition, Beef Or Salmon and Dorans Pride, but it looks to have turned into a perfect kick-off point to the season for Sher Beau, writes Brian O'Connor. After an impressive Gowran debut last winter, a poor run in the PJ Moriarty, and then an end of season defeat over three miles at Cork, was not an accurate reflection of Sher Beau's potential. A Grade Two winner over hurdles, Sher Beau's real future has always looked to be over fences and today's two and a half mile trip, as well as getting up to 9lb from the opposition, can see him start to prove that.
The Listed mares chase looks a cracking contest with Lakil Princess setting a 123 handicap standard and Cailin Alainn and Chicago Vic representing good novice form. However, the best novice form of all looks to be provided by the stoutly staying Gazza's Girl who might prefer further than two and a half miles but who was also hugely impressive in winning on her second chase start at Galway.
Oscar Honey is a rare bumper runner for Charles O'Brien but can repeat a course and distance victory in the last while Ilringuback can perform a similar feat in the three mile handicap hurdle.
