Inca nearing peak fitness, says Murphy

RACING DIGEST: COLM MURPHY reports Brave Inca to be nearing full fitness as he plots a comeback for the 2006 Champion Hurdle hero.

A winner of nine Grade One contests, the 10-year-old has not been seen in racecourse action since April 2007 after suffering a tendon injury.

Murphy felt it best to give his stable star the entire season off last time around and he is keeping his fingers crossed that it was a move that move has paid dividends.

"Brave Inca is very well in himself at the moment and, touch wood, he appears to be over the problems he had," said Murphy. "He is working nicely and we had him back in very early this year so he is a lot more forward than he normally would be at this time of year.

"Having said that, he always takes a couple of runs to find his form and we are looking at running him on the Flat at Tralee at the end of the month, all being well.

"If he comes through that okay we'll look to going back over hurdles with him and all options are open to him at this stage.

"There is the race at Ascot (Coral Ascot Hurdle, November 22nd) and the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse and races like that so we will just see how it goes, but I'm happy with him at the moment."

• TOM TAAFFE is weighing up the options for Kicking King as the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero prepares to return to the track.

After winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton in December of his Gold Cup year, the 10-year-old suffered a tendon injury which kept him out of action for over two years.

He appeared to retain all of his old zest when second on his comeback in January earlier this year, but he disappointed on his next two starts, including when pulling up in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup.

"He has come back into work in grand old form and I'm very pleased with him," said Taaffe. "He scoped dirty after his last run at Punchestown so at least there was an excuse for that run and he should be back on a racecourse soon.

"There is a race at Gowran on October 4th we are looking at and maybe a race at Punchestown on the 15th so he will probably run in one of those."

• DANE O'NEILL notched up his second treble of the season at Leicester yesterday with a terrific 8841/2 to 1 trio on Dustry, Factotum and Shanzu.

"This is a lucky place for me. I had a treble here last month," said a delighted O'Neill on taking his tally for the year to 74.

He completed his threesome on 22 to 1 outsider Shanzu, who gamely held Totem Flower by a neck in the ladbrokes.com Handicap.

"That was a very gutsy performance. She used up a lot in the first couple of furlongs to get there," said trainer Henry Candy.

O'Neill kicked off with victory on Dustry (10 to 1), who was only Richard Hannon's second string but was brought fast and late to land the ladbrokes.com Ibstock Maiden Auction Stakes.