Neither horse wilted, neither jockey blinked - how the 2004 Supreme unfolded in favour of the Irish banker
To whet the appetite for Cheltenham, we're counting down the greatest duels in festival history
Greatest Festival Duels - No. 8
Brave Inca v War Of Attrition, 2004 Supreme Novices' Hurdle
We look back with the benefit of hindsight and often rue that maybe, in a given situation, we didn't quite appreciate the magnitude of what we were witnessing. It's usually most true in the case of youngsters who go on to conquer the world. How could we know?
There is certainly a strong hint of that about the 2004 Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Brave Inca and War Of Attrition, two embryonic superstars who would scale the sport's most exalted peaks, slugging it out in a truly epic undercard rumble.
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Published on inGreatest Festival Duels
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- If the half-length verdict sounds conclusive, it didn't seem that way to an enthralled grandstand - this was vintage Cheltenham
- The lovable rogue and the brave warrior who left Cheltenham buzzing after an epic Gold Cup
- Returning from heavily contrasting absences, Cyborgo and Mysilv serve up a Stayers' Hurdle to savour
- How motionless magician JT McNamara conjured a remarkable win over a gallant rival
- How the king of the staying hurdlers met his match in a £5,000 grey bought out of a field