Bouncing Brave Inca bound for Aintree run.
Byline: TONY O'HEHIR and DAVID LAWRENCEBRAVE INCA, beaten two necks by Hardy Eustace and Harchibald when third in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle last month, is Aintree-bound with trainer Colm Murphy yesterday confirming the seven-year-old an intended runner in the John Smith's Aintree Hurdle on Saturday.
Murphy said: ``Brave Inca came out of Cheltenham very well, better than we'd expected, so it's all systems go for Aintree.
``Barry Cash rode him work on Friday and the horse was really bouncing. Maybe the extra half-mile at Aintree might suit him.''
Accordion Etoile, one place behind Brave Inca at Cheltenham, will renew rivalry on Saturday. His trainer Paul Nolan yesterday confirmed that his Aintree team will also include Colnel Rayburn in the Grand National.
Moscow Flyer looks set to be the star turn on Aintree's Friday card. The dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winner figures among 16 hopefuls for the John Smith's Melling Chase and trainer Jessica Harrington has already said he will line up ``as long as all goes well'' in the meantime.
Martin Pipe's Well Chief, Moscow Flyer's closest Cheltenham pursuer, is also entered, as are four from the Paul Nicholls stable - Armaturk, Champion Chase fifth Kadarann, Le Roi Miguel and Daily Telegraph Chase winner Thisthatandtother.
Fondmort and Hand Inn Hand, second and fourth respectively in the Daily Telegraph race, could reoppose and the Aintree contest promises added spice with the possible presence of Limerick Boy andCastleford Chase hero Mister McGoldrick.
Friday's meeting opens with the pounds 75,000 John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase, which, if there is enough rain, could be the next target for the Nick Richards-trained Jazz d'Estruval, who lost his unbeaten record when falling - before being remounted to finish second - at Market Rasen last month.
Richards said yesterday: ``Jazz d'Estruval could run at Aintree, but the ground would have be on the soft side.
``He's in good order but I won't run him in the race unless conditions are right, as there are races for him later on at both Ayr and Perth, if the weather is favourable.
``However, if we get a very dry spring and the ground starts to quicken up, I'll have no hesitation in roughing him off for the summer.''
Other entries in this three-mile-one-furlong event are Nicky Henderson's Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Trabolgan, the Pipe-trained Comply Or Die, who chased him home at Cheltenham, and the Christy Roche-trained Like-A-Butterfly, only fifth that day but subsequently successful in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.
CAPTION(S):
Colm Murphy ``It's all systems go for Aintree''
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| Title Annotation: | Sports |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Racing Post (London, England) |
| Date: | Apr 3, 2005 |
| Words: | 422 |
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