Hardy Eustace Treble Bid

All systems go fro the Hardy Eustace treble bid this afternoon after his dismal effort at Leopardstown in January convinced many that the time has come to desert the gutsy front-runner, who was a 33-1 shot when dethroning Rooster Booster in 2004 but showed it was no fluke when holding off Harchibald by a neck 12 months ago.

Champion Hurdle Ante Post Betting

In Hughes’s words, Hardy Eustace “ran a stinking race” in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, trailing in a remote last of seven, and was “lifeless” for a fortnight afterwards.

But he is reckoned back to himself after recovering from the virus that ailed him that day, and with a visor replacing his usual big-race blinkers - “we felt last year he couldn’t see the horses behind him” - and the ground drying to no softer than good at Cheltenham, an increasingly upbeat Hughes said: “He can definitely do it again.

“He is the best horse in the race, he is as good as he was last year and he has got his ground. It won’t be easy but I am reasonably confident. It will be a test with all the front-runners in there - but he doesn’t have to make the running.”

AIG winner Brave Inca is the one that the betting and the formbook suggest is most likely to play Sea Pigeon this year and avenge a narrow defeat 12 months on.

Like Pat Muldoon’s legendary dual champion, on whom Jonjo O’Neill and John Francome excelled, jockeyship is important to the favourite, who was beaten justtwo necks into third place last season under the more than capable Barry Cash but seems to have improved since teaming up with the more than mortal Tony McCoy.

Changing jockeys was described as “a hell of a decision” by the trainer but it famously madethe difference on Dawn Run at Cheltenham 20 years ago and it has worked out for Colm Murphy. McCoy’s victory in the AIG was a fourth in just five rides on a tough - and tough to master - customer who had gone a year without a win until the champion took over on board.

Murphy sums it up by saying that the champion jockey “knows when to press the horse’s buttons” and although he is keen to stress that Brave Inca is “stronger and more professional” this term, he admitted yesterday: “There is only one TonyMcCoy.

“He is the best at what he does and it is great to have him on your side. He combines everything, he knows the horse so well now and he gets on really well with him.”

McCoy will certainly not allow Hardy Eustace the easy lead he has had in the last two Champion Hurdles - and with all the way Kingwell Hurdle winner Briareus in the line-up along with front-runners Admiral, Fiepes Shuffle and The French Furze things could be set up for Arcalis to come from off a strong pace as he did in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle here last year.

But AIG runner-up Macs Joy - reportedly trained more for Cheltenham this year - plus Al Eile and Asian Maze give the Irish every hope of a repeat of last year’s clean sweep of the places - even without the sidelined pair Harchibald and Feathard Lady.

“There are half a dozen with serious chances,” Murphy ventured. “We don’t just have to turn up.”

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