Brave Inca at the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown

BRAVE INCA crowned a wonderful week for trainer Colm Murphy by landing Thursday's December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown three days after Feathard Lady burst onto the Smurfit Champion Hurdle scene with her runaway win at Sandown. Without question Murphy has two genuine contenders for Cheltenham glory in his Co Wexford yard and on Thursday Brave Inca, the more exposed of the pair, galloped on strongly through the soft ground to beat Harchibald by three lengths in the Bewleyshotels.com-sponsored event. Vc Bet cut Brave Inca from 7-1 to 5-1 joint favourite for the hurdling crown and their PR Manager Neal Wilkins commented "Colm Murphy clearly holds a strong hand for the Champion Hurdle and the final clues will almost certainly be gleaned in the AIG Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 29. VC BET SMURFIT CHAMPION HURDLE 5 Harchibald 5 Hardy Eustace 5 Arcalis 5 Feathard Lady 5 Brave Inca 7 Lingo 16 Essex 16 Faasel 25 Macs Joy 33 Penzance 50 Intersky Falcon Others on application ¼ 1,2,3