Buveur D’air digs deep to pip Melon in thriller
History may not rate the form of yesterday’s Unibet Champion Hurdle as the greatest but, in terms of a horse race, it was the essence of what the Cheltenham Festival is all about. Buveur D’air, the 4-6 favourite but a champion made to fight, finally overhauled Melon in the last 50 yards in as pulsating a finish as you are likely to see all week.
It was Buveur D’air’s second win in Britain’s premier hurdle and his trainer Nicky Henderson’s seventh. Those who backed the victor to win less than they wagered might have preferred the luxury of a more comfortable success as the denouement of this year’s Champion Hurdle will have tested weak hearts.
“There was not a lot between them today,” said winning owner JP Mcmanus sagaciously, “but enough – which counts.”
Who might step up and make a race of it with the red-hot favourite was the big question beforehand and it was the once much-vaunted Melon, a Willie Mullins second, third or fourth string – it is not quite clear – who came out of the woodwork. Melon lost some of his gloss when sent off 3-1 for last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle only to be beaten by the recalcitrant Labaik. Here, though, he was finally fulfilling that latent potential.
Cruising as he came off the hill, jockey Paul Townend was doubtless screaming at Ruby Walsh, riding the struggling stablemate Faugheen, for room on the inside. The effect was that Buveur D’air was briefly pushed wide as his jockey Barry Geraghty sought
to have Walsh momentarily relegated from leading Festival jockey to doorman.
Melon slipped through and he turned for home a neck up on Buveur D’air, an advantage he maintained until three-quarters of the way up the hill. But Geraghty had something up his sleeve and resisted throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at Buveur D’air until the last 100 yards.
In that final push, though, he drove the reigning champion past the gallant second, with Mick Jazz, who had briefly threatened going to the last to take a hand in the finish, three lengths back in third. “That was a good race, a proper race,” said Henderson, relieved to chalk up his first winner of the week and possibly the first leg of a historic big-race treble of Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup.
“It’s a big relief, he was expected to collect. And he did. They went some gallop and, OK, we set it [with stablemate Charli Parcs] but you wouldn’t believe they’d keep it up, even once they’d passed the first two. I must say Melon looked very strong at the last but Barry said he was always happy. The second must be a good horse.
“Buveur D’air has been winning by huge distances but this is the first time he’s had a race this season and that was worrying me. I was going to say he’d come on for the run but he didn’t blow up, he just had a good blow afterwards. He hasn’t had to knuckle down like that for some time. He got a neck down but when Barry said ‘It’s time to go’, he put his head down.”
Geraghty dismissed the scrimmaging down the hill. “That’s racing,” he said. “Ruby was trying to make room for Paul. I was anxious turning in with Paul travelling so well but he wasn’t getting away from me and I was finishing out better. I was happy popping the last and there was no rush from there. He’s a true champion.”
Mullins was delighted with Melon, who had run poorly on his previous outing when fitted with a hood. “At least it vindicated what we thought of him,” he said. “He didn’t face his hood last time and I think he’s a horse who will improve.”
Faugheen trailed in a well-beaten sixth and will now be stepped up in trip. The Mullins-trained Yorkhill was even more disappointing, eventually pulling up.