Milan’s my Ace
ACEY MILAN (5.30) has to have a great chance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper – my best hope of a winner on day two of the Festival.
He’s a proven bumper horse with two Listed wins to his name, and his three wins have all come on very soft ground.
He’s very, very straightforward and his trainer Anthony Honeyball, above, couldn’t be happier going into the race.
Knight Destroyer (4.50) will really like the ground and is another I am happy with going into the Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Cheltenham will suit him a whole lot better than Market Rasen and he has a great eachway chance. I have never ridden Le Breuil (2.50), who runs in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle. It’s one of the most competitive handicaps of the Festival, if not the most, but he looks a very progressive sort and the type of horse that runs well in the Coral Cup. ESTIVAL king Nicky Henderson showed why he is top trainer at the meeting after Buveur D’Air gave him a record seventh victory in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
But success looked far from certain for the 4-6 favourite when Melon surged clear after the last hurdle under Paul Townend.
That was when Buveur D’Air put his head down and fought like a lion for Barry Geraghty to snatch victory by a neck.
Mick Jazz ran a blinder for a 25-1 chance to finish third.
Geraghty, registering his third victory in the race after Punjabi and Jezki, best summed up this knockout bout when he said: “That was tough out there – there was nowhere to hide.”
And Henderson said: “It was a brilliant race. They went a good gallop throughout and Buveur D’Air and Melon were able to then keep that gallop up in the closing stages.
“They were two very brave horses with two very brave jockeys. Buveur D’Air had a battle on his hands, probably his first real battle this year.
“After his last race at Sandown, we were talking about him not having any really hard races this year, but today was one.”
Henderson, also the most successful trainer at the meeting with 59 victories, actually celebrated his first Festival victory in the Champion Hurdle with See You Then in 1985, who went on to make it three wins in the hurdling crown.
Understandably, he will attempt to make it three Champions for Buveur D’Air, but more immediately the gelding will go to Aintree next month.
“We have four weeks until Aintree, so we could go back there again if there is soft ground in the going description,” he said. “I’ll speak to JP McManus and then we’ll make a decision.” Winning BUVEUR D’AIR MELON MICK JAZZ owner McManus was also celebrating his seventh Champion Hurdle along with his 53rd Festival victory.
McManus said: “I’m keeping up with Nicky!
“I’m thrilled as Barry missed out last year with injury and whilst Noel [Fehily] gave him a great ride last year, it was nice that Barry was involved and got to share in it and enjoy it. Barry got the job done and looked strong as did Paul Townend on Melon and Barry just got the better of him.
“It’s very special to win any race at the Festival, and it’s even better to win one of the championship races.
“When Istabraq won it was a very emotional day because of the death of John Durkan, who bought the horse and without whose input I would never have owned him. When we think of Istabraq we always think of John.” Geraghty, McManus’s retained rider, said: “It was a long year last year, but it’s been a great year this time.
“Bad luck was the only thing that was going to beat him and he didn’t get bad luck and he won. It’s great to get a big winner for your boss.”
Willie Mullins, trainer of Melon, said: “At least it vindicated what we thought of him. I think he is a horse who is going to improve. He will be