Ante-post favourite Brave Inca is firmly on course for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on Tuesday week after delighting connections in a racecourse gallop at Leopardstown.
Trainer Colm Murphy opted to skip the traditional pre-Cheltenham gallops on Sunday in favour of following his usual regime and working a day later.
Murphy was aboard the eight-year-old as he worked over a mile and a half and the County Wexford handler could not be more pleased.
"He worked very, very well this morning and I'm really happy with him," said Murphy. "We went over a mile and a half on the level and he gave me a really good feel."
Murphy has galloped Brave Inca at Leopardstown on this day for the last two years and given that he won the 2004 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and finished third in last year's Champion Hurdle, the trainer was reluctant to alter the schedule.
"We have done the same thing with him for the last few years and brought him here on the Monday so we didn't want to change the routine this time," he explained.
"He came out of that last race in very good form and he seems to be taking his racing really well. It's all systems go now for Cheltenham. Last year he was a second-season novice and he will have the advantage of that extra year under his belt this time."
Brave Inca is the 13-8 favourite with Ladbrokes for the Champion Hurdle after winning the December Festival Hurdle and AIG Europe Champion Hurdle on his last two starts.