Classy Buveur is something special in D’Air

BUVEUR D’AIR teed up a possible preCheltenham clash with Faugheen as he made the perfect return to action by easily landing the odds in the Unibet Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

Last season’s Champion Hurdle hero went off the 1-6 favourite under Barry Geraghty and Nicky Henderson’s sixyear-old promptly outclassed his four rivals.

Katgary and Mirsaale shared the early running, before Buveur D’Air (right) jumped into the lead at the third-last flight and cantered to victory under a motionless Barry Geraghty.

Irving, two-time winner of the Grade One contest, was flattered by being only three and a half lengths behind in second place.

A delighted Henderson watched on from Newbury, where he said: ‘It was good and he did what he had to do. Anything else would have probably been disappointing. Thank goodness it is over and done with and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards now.

‘Under the circumstances it was great. I would have thought the Christmas Hurdle (at Kempton) will now be the plan.’

The Willie Mullins-trained Faugheen, the 2015 two-mile king at Cheltenham, impressed at Punchestown recently on his comeback from injury and has Kempton and Leopardstown as his options at Christmas. Geraghty added: ‘Faugheen looked really good at Punchestown, but this horse feels more physical than last year. I relish the challenge. He should still be getting better.’