RACING: Brave Inca, one of the main Irish hopes for the Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle, is back on course for Cheltenham but with one significant proviso.

Trainer Colm Murphy said yesterday that the Grade One Deloitte winner is unlikely to take his chance at the festival if the going gets any faster than good.

"The ground is the deciding factor in what race he runs in or if he runs at all," said the Co Wexford-based trainer yesterday. "If it is too fast he won't be going anywhere. He will run if it is good ground but not if it is much quicker. He is just too good to be risking," he added.

Brave Inca remains as short as 8 to 1 for the SunAlliance, and 16 to 1 for the Supreme Novices, despite missing out on last weekend's Johnstown Hurdle after failing to impress in a home gallop two days beforehand.

"He probably had a harder race than we thought at Leopardstown so we've decided to give him a little more time. He is A1 again now, 100 per cent, and we will probably give him a racecourse gallop between now and Cheltenham," Murphy reported.

He added that Barry Cash, who rode Brave Inca to win the Deloitte, is set to keep the ride at the festival if Brave Inca runs. "I haven't discussed it with the owners but I imagine Barry will ride. He gets on well with the horse," he said.

The shortest priced Irish-trained horse for both the SunAlliance and the Supreme is Sadlers Wings and Willie Mullins has not decided which race his unbeaten hurdler will go for.

"I'm still mulling it over in my mind," Mullins admitted yesterday before giving an upbeat report on his Smurfit Champion Hurdle hope, Davenport Milenium. "I'm delighted with the way he is going since he ran in the AIG and the ground drying up a bit is ideal," he said.

Mullins also said he expects to have four or more runners in the Champion Bumper, a race he has dominated in the past, winning four times.