DOUBLE HANDFUL

RACEGOERS at Newcastle today are being treated to an early Christmas present in the form of the Grade 1 Betvictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle. The two-mile contest pitches the mighty Buveur D’air — winner of the last two Champion Hurdles — against would-be heirs Samcro and Summerville Boy.

The Nicky Hendersontrained Buveur D’air is undoubtedly the horse to beat and I’m a little surprised not to see him 1-2 or shorter.

This is a horse who is on a hat-trick of Champion Hurdles victories, who has won his last 10 races and only lost to two rivals over obstacles — pretty decent ones too in Altior and Min.

The literal translation of Buveur D’air is ‘drinker of air’, which is apt because if Henderson’s star fails to oblige today I’ll be spending the rest of the afternoon holding an empty pint glass.

Samcro, the horse bookies see as Buveur D’air’s main rival, has lost his last two races.

A fall at Punchestown was followed by a shock defeat to Bedrock, who was a late withdrawal today, at Down Royal last time out. Confidence in the Gigginstown camp can’t be high and I’ve a feeling they might be contemplating a switch to fences if things don’t go well here. The one I fear most is Summerville Boy, who I have already backed at 12-1 to win next year’s Champion Hurdle.

The improvement shown by Tom George’s six-year-old last season was nothing short of staggering. He won the Supreme Hurdle despite a terrible mistake at the second-last and even a blunder at the last didn’t stop him overhauling a good performer in Kalashnikov.

I think it might be a tall order for Summerville Boy to beat Buveur D’air on his seasonal debut and first start outside of novice company, but a good run in defeat would still send his odds tumbling for the big one in March.