Brave Inca Lands Punchestown Feature

Brave Inca, so often the bridesmaid the season, earned his day in the sun with a terrifically tenacious display in the EMO Oil Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Colm Murphy?s gelding refused to back down in the closing stages of the Grade One contest as Harchibald and Macs Joy threw down challenges.

Tony McCoy was to the fore throughout on the gelding and steadily wound it up from half-way. He got to work on his mount three from home and found a willing partner.

Macs Joy joined him early in the straight while 4/6F Harchibald came cruising into contention before the last. The trio jumped the last locked in battle and it was Brave Inca who proved the strongest on the run-in.

Harchibald could find no extra when ridden close home, going down by a head, while Macs Joy finished a further length back in third.

'I?m absolutely thrilled. It?s great after a long season to get a win under his belt. He has been knocking on the door and deserves a big one,' said Murphy.

'Tony said he wasn?t doing a tap in front and just kept finding and finding. We didn?t want to go a good gallop and set it up for them, we wanted to keep enough in the locker.'

Murphy revealed that the winner will be schooled over fences before next season: 'Chasing is an option. We are spoilt for choices with him.'

Asian Maze proved too hot to handle for her rivals in the Grade 1 Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle as she galloped them into submission.

Paul Carberry declared that the Tom Mullins-trained daughter of Anshan is the best mare he has ever ridden after she made all for an easy success.

She pulled away from her rivals after the third last and Carberry had time to look around for non-existent dangers in the straight as the pair eased down for a five-length victory over Kerryhead Windfarm.

'She?s unreal, the best mare I have ever sat on. She goes a nice gallop and keeps it up. She gallops them into the ground and jumps very quick,' said Carberry.

Pay It Forward made his first handicap win a valuable one when landing the E100,000 betfair.com Novice Handicap Chase for Jessica Harrington.

Robert Power did the steering and sent his mount to the front three from home. He held his advantage down the straight to record a two-length victory over recent Scottish National winner Joes Edge.

English raider Snoopy Loopy stayed on best in the straight to get the better of The Railway Man in the Opel Novice Hurdle.

The pair turned in locked together but Paddy Flood?s mount found a bit extra as they raced around the bypassed last hurdle.

JD Moore shone on Well Tutored over the banks as he made all for a comfortable victory in the Ladies Perpetual Cup.

Ruby Walsh teamed up with Francis Crowley to take the opening Flogas Ireland Handicap Chase with Monterey Bay.