Iktitaf lays down marker for Champion Hurdle

Punchestown report: Iktitaf barged his way to the forefront of the Smurfit Champion Hurdle betting at Punchestown yesterday but the scale of the task in even just making Cheltenham in four months time could be gauged by the noticeable absence of panic at the result outside the winner's enclosure.

Brave Inca, the current title holder, finished a well beaten third of the four runners in the Maplewood Morgiana Hurdle yet both his team, and the connections of the runner-up Asian Maze, were both well satisfied at the outcome.

"It takes a couple of races to have him right. He hasn't changed in that way," said Colm Murphy who had given Barry Geraghty the leg up on Brave Inca for the first time.

The jockey was hard at work from over half a mile out but both Geraghty and Murphy took substantial encouragement from the fact that Brave Inca was still within shouting distance at the finish.

"The ground was softer than ideal, and he had a good blow, but I was happy with the way he came home. It was a good run in a good race," was Geraghty's verdict.

Tom Mullins declared himself "thrilled" at Asian Maze's first start of the season that saw her fail by only just over a length to overhaul Iktitaf and even the Newmill camp were not overly despondent at the champion chaser finishing a distance last of the four.

Nevertheless, in the satisfaction stakes, there was no denying the feel-good factor around Iktitaf who was making it three from three for the season and is now a general 6 to 1 shot to come out on top at Cheltenham in March.

Noel Meade's decision to substitute his rising star for Harchibald on the soft ground paid off in style as Iktitaf cruised through to lead before the last.

"Asian Maze is very good, and she was coming back at him, but we still won with Paul (Carberry) sitting up," said a delighted Meade who will re-route Harchibald to this weekend's Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.

"This horse has had three runs in six weeks so we may leave him alone until something like the December Hurdle at Leopardstown."

Both that race, and the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse in two weeks, as well as the Boylesports International at Cheltenham, are also options for Brave Inca and Asian Maze with the latter now a general 10 to 1 shot if she goes down the Champion Hurdle route.

"She improved a lot for her first run last season and Ruby (Walsh) told me she is stronger and better this time. That was quite a hard race so we will have to see where she goes next," said Tom Mullins.

Blueberry Boy, trained in north Co Dublin by Paul Stafford, didn't enjoy his first trip to Cheltenham in March but had no problem bridging a 250-day gap and making his first start over fences a winning one in the Grade Two Craddockstown Chase.

The favourite, Conna Castle, looked held when exiting at the second last and it was left to Gemini Lucy to chase home the winner who is now a 25 to 1 shot for the Arkle.

"I see him more as a two-and-a-half-mile horse and we will look at the Drinmore next," said Stafford who appeared less than enthusiastic about travelling Blueberry Boy again.

"He didn't travel or eat well at Cheltenham last year."

O'Muircheartaigh earned 25 to 1 quotes for both the Arkle and the race that used be known as the SunAlliance when making most in the Beginners Chase.

"At the moment he deserves a SunAlliance entry," said Edward O'Grady.

"He did himself a lot of favours with his jumping and we will have to consider the Drinmore."

However good he was on ktitaf, Paul Carberry's ride of the day, and a contender for the best of the season, had to be his effort on the handicap chase winner Walk Over who was tailed off and almost pulled up with a circuit to go and then overcame a third last mistake to complete a memorable success.

"I don't know how you could call that a walk over!" grinned the jockey.

Any idea that the favourite De Valira would turn the bumper into a walk over disappeared when he appeared less than a straightforward ride in the straight and allowed the 12 to 1 shot Enquiring Mind through to win by four lengths.