NICKY’S SEVENTH HEAVEN!
Henderson delight as Buveur D’Air retains Champion Hurdle title
There is no such thing as an easy penalty kick. Just ask Stuart Pearce or Gareth Southgate, who famously both missed vital attempts from 12 yards when playing for england.
Many punters and pundits went into yesterday’s Champion hurdle thinking 4-6 favourite Buveur D’Air had the racing equivalent of a shot from the penalty spot.
he’d not been beaten and hadn’t even been close to coming off the bridle in three races this season.
In the end, Barry Geraghty’s mount had to dig deep into his reserves to edge out the Willie Mullins- trained 7- 1 runner- up Melon by a neck. It was a dingdong battle up the exacting climb to the Cheltenham finishing post on the most testing Festival ground for over 30 years. And in doing so, he became the first horse since hardy eustace in 2005 to land back-to-back Champion hurdles. The JP McManus- owned sevenyearold also gave trainer Nicky henderson a seventh win in a race he first won in 1985 with See You Then. It was also the first leg of what would be an historic treble.
No- one has ever trained the winner of the Champion hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup at the same Festival.
henderson, who has now trained 59 Festival winners, has now landed leg one. he fires odds- on shot Altior, who has recovered from his sore hoof, at today’s Champion Chase and has favourite Might Bite to run at Friday’s Gold Cup.
But the Lambourn trainer said his overwhelming feeling after seeing Buveur D’Air emerge on top after a furiously run race in which his stablemate Charli Parcs set the pace was one of relief.
henderson said: ‘he had a battle and did what he had to do. Once Barry said, “Come on, we’ve got to go’’, he put his head down and he knew exactly what he was doing.
‘That was a proper race. I was just nervous they were going some pace. When the first two picked it up from two out, they kicked again off that pace.
‘It may not have been a course record but I bet it was a course record on heavy ground.
‘You couldn’t believe they would keep it up all the way but they have. The second horse is probably a good horse — he must be.’
In the race build-up, henderson had voiced his concerns that Buveur D’Air lacked a truly competitive prep race.
Geraghty, who was ruled out of last year’s race by injury, admitted he had doubts before claiming his third Champion hurdle title.
‘I was concerned after we turned in, but the further up the straight I was going, the happier I was going, and I knew I could let Buveur D’Air pop the last and fill up in the process,’ he said.
‘There was nowhere to hide. The ground made it the ultimate test. The best horse was going to win, and thankfully I was on the best horse. he’s proved he is very good — you don’t win these back-toback unless you are very good, and he’s won everything all season.
‘he’s a top- class horse and he deserves the recognition. he scrapped it out today.
‘ he’s been flashy all season because he hasn’t had to deal with much, but today he had opposition and he lived up to it.’
The pace set by Charli Parcs meant the ruby Walsh-ridden 2015 winner Faugheen could not impose himself on the race but it probably made no difference, like the cheekpieces he wore for the first time.
his previous two runs had shown him to be a shadow of his peak self and he was easily brushed aside approaching the home turn before fading into sixth of the 11 runners.
Mullins said: ‘ruby got off him and said he just wants a longer trip nowadays.’ While Gordon elliott’s Mick Jazz ran a solid race in third, it was Mullinstrained Melon who was the surprise package of the race. he had been a beaten favourite when second to Labaik in the 2017 Supreme Novices’ hurdle and his runs this season, including a fifth to Supasundae in the Irish Champion hurdle, had looked as if he was not capable of delivering on his early promise. Mullins said: ‘It was a terrific performance from him. It vindicated what we thought of him. I think he is a horse who is going to improve. he will be better next year. Probably we will keep him hurdling rather than chasing but we will make those decisions later in the season. I am really looking forward to him.’
Buveur D’Air is now likely to head to Aintree’s Grand National meeting next month, but the longer-term aim will be to emulate See You Then by trying to become a three-time Champion hurdle winner — a feat also achieved by hatton’s Grace, Sir Ken, Persian War and Istabraq.
henderson said: ‘God willing, we will be trying. That will be the objective if we are lucky and we get back here next year.
‘There will be more young horses coming through I am sure but that’s what we will aim for.’