Western Morning News (Saturday)
Stafford hopes to get a Buzz in Betfair Trophy
CONNECTIONS of Buzz are excited at what the season ahead may hold for the grey, who heads to Ascot as favourite for the Betfair Exchange Trophy.
The six-year-old was a smart handicapper on the Flat for Hughie Morrison and joined Nicky Henderson before the start of last season.
He won his first two over hurdles, before finishing a well-beaten fourth in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle in February.
Buzz reappeared in the Welsh Champion Hurdle, where he was third to Sceau Royal, and won like the handicap good thing he appeared at Ascot last month - but that means he is burdened with top-weight in Saturday’s £100,000 contest.
“We’re excited that he’s going there with the profile he’s got,” said James Stafford, racing manager for owners Thurloe Thoroughbreds, who are donating 25 per cent of all prizemoney won with Buzz and a pair of two-year-olds to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
“He seems to have taken to hurdles now, and I think he improved during the off-season. He came back looking a stronger horse this season.”
Henderson also runs the JP McManus-owned Time Flies By.
Dr Richard Newland has his string in excellent heart, and Benson has contributed to his impressive recent strike-rate - winning all three of his races this season.
He pulled it out of the fire at Sandown last time out, having looked beaten, but is 10lb higher in a much deeper race.
Two major handicaps in Britain have gone to Irish trainers already this season, through Emmet Mullins’ The Shunter in the Greatwood Hurdle and Mick Winters’ Chatham Street Lad in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup last week.
This time Irish hopes rest on Peter Fahey’s novice Belfast Banter, who has scraped in at the bottom of the weights.
“He’s a consistent horse, he always runs a good race,” said Fahey.
Anthony Honeyball is hoping Kid Commando can return to the form he showed when scoring over the course and distance in late October.
Paul Nicholls’ Malaya has been kept fresh for this since chasing home Kid Commando.
“Conditions cannot be too testing for Malaya who is a smart mare, has decent form at Ascot and is only 2lb higher than when she won the Imperial Cup at Sandown 21 months ago,” Nicholls said.