HENDERSON D’AIR’S TO DREAM WITH BUVEUR
4/9 favourite Buveur D’Air, trained by Nicky Henderson, took the step up to two miles and four furlongs in his stride, as he registered an authoritative victory in the G1 Betway Aintree Hurdle, the fourth race on day one, Grand Opening Day, of the 2017 Randox Health Grand National.
Ridden by Barry Geraghty, registering a short-priced double on the day, the G1 Stan James Champion Hurdle winner travelled ominously well throughout the contest and quickened up nicely after the final flight to win by five lengths.
Stable companion My Tent Or Yours (8/1) finished second to the winner at the Cheltenham Festival and stayed on well in the closing stages to fill the same position here.
Long-time leader The New One (11/2), trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, tired late on to finish one and a half-lengths further back in third.
A delighted Henderson said: “However easy you win at Cheltenham, you always have tough races so you have to come back and do it here. They both have come out of it well.
“We gave them a quiet 10 days after that but Buveur D’Air looks big. He is doing everything right now and he does get that trip well – he saw it through really well.”
Seven Barrows maestro Henderson was also pleased with the performance of My Tent Or Yours, who like the winner is owned by J P McManus. Henderson continued: “If anybody deserves to win a race like this, it is him. However, where else can we go with him, there is nowhere so we had to come here. You have to admire him.
“They both confirmed the Cheltenham form and he is the old boy and Buveur D’Air is the young buck. Tent you have to admire him.”
3.25pm Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
1 BUVEUR D’AIR (J P McManus) Nicky Henderson 6-11-07 Barry Geraghty 4/9 Fav
2 My Tent Or Yours (J P McManus) Nicky Henderson 10-11-07 Aidan Coleman 8/1
3 The New One (S Such & CG Paletta) Nigel Twiston-Davies 9-11-07 Sam Twiston-Davies 11/2
Distances: 5, 1½
Tote: Win: £1.40 Places: £1.10; £2.70 Exacta: £3.40
GERAGHTY IS FLOATING ON AIR
Having missed the winning ride on Buveur D’Air in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, Barry Geraghty was relieved to be back in the plate today when the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old took the Betway Aintree Hurdle comfortably.
Buveur D’Air, owned by J P McManus, was sent off the 4/9 favourite and scored from stable mate My Tent Or Yours by five lengths.
Geraghty said: “It was a smooth win – the form and the price reflected it. He ran a nice race. The New One [who set the pace under Sam Twiston-Davies] is a very good horse and he went a good gallop. I was aware not to give him too much rope early on, but I always felt I was close enough and kicked on turning in. Stamina is his strong point but I was happy enough that if I waited, he had the pace. He is sharp and racy, just as you like a two-miler. He is not too laid back.
“Nicky [Henderson] is a master at freshening horses up after a big race and getting them back. Buveur D’Air looked a picture and he felt it.”
THE NEW ONE IS PURE GOLD – AND A MONEY SPINNER
The New One is proving as durable as he is good.
Leading the field into the home straight in the Gr1 Betway Aintree Hurdle, he seemed to be going as well as any runner until eventually giving best to the Nicky Henderson-trained pair of Buveur D’Air and My Tent Or Yours. Buveur D’Air, who landed last month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle, won by five lengths, with The New One another one and a half lengths further back in third. The prize money he gained – £17,680 – took his earnings past £900,000 for owners Simon Such and Gino Paletta.
There has been some debate about whether The New One should try taking on staying hurdlers, and that will be considered again, said Nigel Twiston-Davies, the horse’s trainer. He said: “Well done the Champion Hurdler – he’s a good one and we weren’t too far behind him. Turning in I thought our horse was going as well as the winner.
“He’s been a bloody brilliant servant, and it will be terribly hard to find another like him.
“We’ll finally try three miles, and we might even go to Punchestown, although at this stage we just don’t know. If he comes out of it in good health, that might happen.”<< Back to Racing Headlines
