Brave Inca won twice at the Cheltenham Festival and twice at the Punchestown Festival during a golden era of Irish-trained two mile hurdlers
One of the best hurdlers of the 2000s has died of colic at the age of 27. Brave Inca raced during a golden period of the discipline, regularly competing against the likes of two-time Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace and the mercurial Harchibald.
He became the second of Sir AP McCoy’s three Champion Hurdle wins when he defeated Macs Joy and Hardy Eustace at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival. Trained Colm Murphy in Co Wexford, Brave Inca raced 35 times, winning 15 races of which ten were achieved at Grade 1 level.
He started his career over hurdles but only started to show potential when switched to National Hunt races, winning two bumpers.
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He continued the winning sequence when he returned to obstacles, landing five hurdles in a row in the 2003-4 season, including a Grade 1 novice race at Leopardstown, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham from future Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition, and the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
When he moved up to the senior ranks he finished second four times, third in the 2005 Champion Hurdle won by Hardy Eustace and ended the campaign by defeating Harchibald in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle on his first run with McCoy in the saddle.
During their association Brave Inca enjoyed multiple big race success which peaked with their Champion Hurdle triumph in 2006.
Brave Inca contested two more Champion Hurdles, finishing runner-up under Ruby Walsh in 2007 but was down the field in 2009. He was retired after one more unsuccessful appearance at Punchestown the same year.
Murphy told the Racing Post: “Unfortunately, Brave Inca passed away this morning [Thursday]. He had been fantastic all through his retirement with me but just picked up colic and we sadly lost him to it.”
Murphy said: “He was an absolute gentleman and so good to us. I was very fortunate to get him at the start of my career and he was the nearest thing you could get to winning the lotto. No one could foresee the ride he would take us on, but it was phenomenal and I’m totally indebted to the horse.
“He’s still the horse people most associate me with and he put me on that big racing stage which is so hard to get to, especially when you are just getting going and he was a joy of a horse in every sense. He had it all and he spoke for himself.
“He’s been here ever since retirement and has been a total gentleman. He still looked a million dollars but age sadly wasn’t on his side in the end.”
