Solerina may head to Navan

RACING News: Solerina could be set for a quick reappearance in Saturday's Giltspur Scientific Tara Hurdle at Navan.

A game winner of the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle on testing ground at Fairyhouse on Sunday, Solerina could have her second outing of the week in the Grade Two contest over two and a half miles.

"She's entered in it, but we'd have been an awful lot happier if we had another week to recover - it always used to be two weeks," said trainer James Bowe's son and assistant, Michael.

"We have just less than a week, but we'll make a decision on Friday morning. It's unfortunate, because nothing else really suits her over Christmas and at Cheltenham."

Solerina's neck victory over Golden Cross took her career successes to 20, but Bowe ranks it as one of her very finest.

"It was one of her best performances ever because it didn't come easy and she had to fight hard for it," he added. "I thought we had lost, and I was close to tears when she held on like that to win."

The mare is now eight years old, but Bowe has no retirement date in mind.

"This could possibly be her last season, but nothing is written in stone. She'll give off the signals when it's time to call it a day."

Meanwhile, Colm Murphy is targeting the Bewleyshotels.com December Festival Hurdle with Brave Inca after he finished a narrow third at Fairyhouse.

A winner at Punchestown in November, the seven-year-old was beaten just over a length in the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle despite finding the ground too heavy.

Murphy reports Brave Inca to be in fine form after the outing and will gear him towards the Grade One event at Leopardstown on December 29th.

"He's come out of it absolutely grand and we are delighted with him," said the Wexford handler. "He's in the field now and doesn't look to have even had a run.

"It was a carbon-copy of last year's run, when he hated the ground and never really travelled or jumped, but at the same time he ran an absolute cracker considering all that.

"He's sure to come on for that and the run will only bring him on in leaps and bounds. All being well, the plan is to go Leopardstown over Christmas."

Mark Rimell will wait before deciding whether to let Crossbow Creek tackle Saturday's Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old has been entered for the Grade Two event at Prestbury Park, but Rimell has also given him an alternative engagement in the intercasino.co.uk Sea Pigeon Handicap Hurdle at Doncaster.

"I have entered him in two races over hurdles at the weekend, the Bula and a 140-rated hurdle at Doncaster," said Rimell.

"I've not had chance to look at either race yet, but I want to see what the competition is like and have a look at the ground before making a decision."

Crossbow Creek was a useful hurdler last season, but Rimell has switched him to the bigger obstacles this campaign and he was a hugely impressive winner on his debut at Taunton.

Noel Meade has entered Harchibald for the Bula, but he is not a certain runner, while Jonjo O'Neill has Intersky Falcon and Alan King has put in Triumph Hurdle winner Penzance.

Paul Nicholls has two possibles in Phar Bleu and Sporazene, who fell in the same race as Crossbow Creek.