BUVEUR D’AIR, BRAIN POWER, MY TENT OR YOURS — CHAMPION HURDLE
Tuesday (3.30)
THE novice chaser turned Champion Hurdle favourite heads a threepronged Seven Barrows assault, completed by Brain Power and My Tent Or Yours, on the opening day’s feature.
Buveur D’Air marked his return to timber with a victory at 1-4 for Barry Geraghty in Sandown’s Contenders Hurdle last month.
My Tent Or Yours is twice a Champion Hurdle runner-up, while Brain Power steps up in class after handicap hurdles scores at Sandown and Ascot in December.
HENDERSON SAYS:
Buveur D’Air’s chasing was going well, but I just knew there was a bit more to come over hurdles.
The change wasn’t totally because of what was happening with the Champion Hurdle — I’ve always thought he was a Champion Hurdle horse.
The Sandown race didn’t tell us anything — he beat two horses very easily — but he had to beat them easily. Brain Power (above) has done everything right. We’ve seen these hurdlers come through handicaps —
they’ve looked very good — and many of them fall flat on their face first go.
It’s a big step, but he’s got a very high cruising speed and he’s grown up mentally. My Tent Or Yours is in very good shape and he’ll love the race — you don’t finish second in two Champion Hurdles without having a lot of ability.
Of the three, he might not be the obvious one, but, if he was the same horse as last year, he’d have to have a very good chance, wouldn’t he? NEWSBOY’S VIEW:
Five-time Champion Hurdle winner Henderson needs one more triumph to become the most successful trainer in the race’s history — and the record could be close at hand.
The contest has been blown wide open by the defections of past titleholders Annie Power and Faugheen, and Henderson looks poised to profit.
Buveur D’Air (5-1) and Brain Power (6-1) have taken an unconventional road to the Champion but both are hurdlers with untapped potential, while the fact My Tent Or Yours
(14-1) could claim the silver after over 700 days on the sidelines 12 months ago shows this test suits him well and he could be overpriced.