RACING: Brave Inca remains on track to tackle his old rival Harchibald at Punchestown on Friday despite also holding an entry in the Stayers championship the day before. Trainer Colm Murphy has left Brave Inca in the Ballymore Stayers Hurdle, but said yesterday that the shorter option in the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle remained favourite.
"We're keeping our options open but the two miler looks more likely. If the ground turns out to be real good it could be different but that doesn't look like happening. The horse is in good form and we couldn't be happier with him," said Murphy yesterday.
Another set to miss out on the Stayers option is Rule Supreme with Willie Mullins indicating over the weekend that Wednesday's Guinness Gold Cup, and a clash with Kicking King, is more favoured at this stage.
There was bad news over the weekend when Ulaan Baatar, the Arkle winner at Leopardstown this season, broke a leg on the gallops on Friday and had to be put down. It added to other sad news concerning the 2004 Cheltenham bumper winner Total Enjoyment, who also had to be put down having developed laminitis.
Sligo has a 5.10pm start this evening and Miss Ailbhe looks a reasonable bet to get proceedings off to a good start. Her third to Deyrnia at Clonmel looks better after the latter's success at Naas on Saturday and she can get the better of Casual Remark who pulled too hard at Gowran last week.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Bago made a winning return to the track where he enjoyed his finest moment last year as he just got up to win the Prix Ganay at Longchamp yesterday. The 8 to 13 favourite picked up well in the straight to just nose out the subsequently disqualified Pride on the line. Aidan O'Brien's Ace (Kieren Fallon) led with 200 metres to go but was outpaced and finished fourth, later promoted to third.
