National Hunt Injury....... already

[NoChanceToDance]

The National Hunt season has been dealt a real blow with one of the stars being ruled out for the whole season.......

from RP......

by Tony O'Hehir



BRAVE INCA, a nine-time Grade 1 winner over hurdles and winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2006, has been ruled out for the season because of a slight tendon problem.

According to trainer Colm Murphy the injury to Brave Inca's near-foreleg was discovered recently and while the initial reaction was that he might be able to go back in training around Christmas, the decision has been taken to miss the 2007-2008 campaign with the nine-year-old.

Murphy said: "We had Brave Inca and a few of our other better horses checked out and scanned when they came in from grass and it was discovered that he had a minor tendon problem. There is no heat or swelling and we're calling it five per cent damage.

"Because of the horse he is we've decided not to be tempted into rushing things and trying to have him back this season. He owes us absolutely nothing and we are happy that, given time, he will back 100 per cent next season."

The winner of 13 hurdle races, Brave Inca won three Grade 1 events as a novice, including the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, during the 2003-2004 season. After finishing third in the 2005 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, he won the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle and finished off the year by landing the December Festival Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmasmeeting.

He brought his Grade 1 score to nine victories in 2006 when he landed the AIG (Europe) Irish Champion Hurdle, the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the Hatton's Grace Hurdle and the December Festival Hurdle.

Later last season he finished second in the Irish Champion Hurdle before again filling the runner-up spot behind Sublimity when defending his championship crown at Cheltenham. He finished the season by finishing sixth in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at the Punchestown festivalon his first attempt over three miles.