Fighting Fifth Hurdle preview and Man On The Spot tip
Nicky Henderson expects the Fighting Fifth Hurdle to be a major test for Buveur D'Air first time out this season - get the latest from connections and a tip from resident expert Man On The Spot.
2.05 Newcastle - BetVictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle
Views from connections
Nicky Henderson is well aware of the task facing Buveur D'Air as he attempts to retain his BetVictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle crown at Newcastle.
Already a dual Champion Hurdle winner, there is a school of thought which suggests the seven-year-old does not quite get the credit he deserves.
Quite why that may be - given he is aiming to win his 11th race on the bounce, including two successes over fences - is not clear. But one thing is for certain - he will have to be on his A-game against Samcro, Summerville Boy and Bedrock on Saturday.
"This, to be fair, will be one of the toughest races he has faced to be honest with you," said Henderson.
"Whereas the Fighting Fifth last year he was always going to win, the Christmas Hurdle he was always going to win and the Contenders he could not do anything but win - it is a tough starting place.
"He takes a lot of work, but is in good form. He has had a racecourse gallop. He is in good form, and it is his ground. It will be a fascinating race - what with Samcro in there, and Summerville Boy is a decent horse too. Tom George's horses are flying, so he is going to be well wound up for this."
He went on: "This will be as big a test Buveur D'Air has faced anywhere, and it is first time out."
Samcro was heralded as the second coming last season, winning at the Cheltenham Festival and being asked to tackle his elders at Punchestown, where he unfortunately fell.
His reputation suffered a further dent when beaten by Bedrock on his return at Down Royal, meaning he is on something of a retrieval mission now. There was talk of novice chasing this season, but the lure of a genuine Champion Hurdle tilt was too much for connections.
"The track at Newcastle will be sharp enough on Saturday. But Cheltenham in March will be a different story, and there's only one place that we want to win and that's Cheltenham in March," trainer Gordon Elliott told At The Races.
"He's as fit and as well as I can have him. It's whether he's good enough around a sharp track like Newcastle, but I think Cheltenham will be right up his alley. I haven't had a horse in the yard before that I thought could be competitive in a Champion Hurdle, but I think he can."
Eddie O'Leary, racing manager for owners Gigginstown House Stud, said: "He got there, anyway.
"It's a big ask - he's taking on a dual Champion Hurdle winner. It's a huge ask.
"At least we'll know what direction we are going in after this."
Summerville Boy is also making the step out of novice company, but survived two bad jumps at the last two flights in the Supreme at Cheltenham to suggest he was value for a good bit more than the winning margin.
"We're looking forward to getting him out. He's had a nice preparation, but obviously we're going in against the absolute very best - which means we can't feel our way, like we did last season," said George.
"It's a good starting point. He's done a lot of work at home, but every horse generally comes on for their first race. We haven't absolutely drained him, and he's ready for a season ahead of him.
"What you had to be impressed by at Cheltenham was everything had gone wrong and yet he still won, which not many horses can do. He was still very babyish, so I just hope he has grown up. I think he has, but we won't know until the race."
While the bookmakers are making it a three-horse race, it suits Iain Jardine, the trainer of Bedrock, to come in under the radar.
"He's done nothing wrong in his first couple of runs and he's earned his place - it doesn't bother us not being talked about," he said.
"Obviously it's a tough task, but he's earned it by beating Samcro. It's different ground, which could be an issue, but he's in good old form and seems to be improving. He was always underrated as a novice and wasn't beaten far by Lalor. His form is rock solid, and it's good to have him.
"He's got new American owners now, and we did have discussions about plans, but when you have a good horse you want them to run in big races. Rachael (Blackmore) knows him better now, having won two on him, so hopefully it works out well."
Man On The Spot verdict
The card’s feature event with high-class hurdler BUVEUR D’AIR bidding to repeat last year’s success. Unbeaten in 10 outings since 2016, he ended last season winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham for the second time and there’s a distinct possibility he may prove even better this year having undergone wind surgery subsequently. Bedrock beat the disappointing odds-on favourite Samcro in a Grade 2 in Ireland recently but the latter should be sharper for this. Gordon Elliott’s charge won a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Cheltenham in March as did Supreme Novices’ winner Summerville Boy, though the latter has his first outing since. Vision Des Flos and Bleu Et Rouge look up against it on these terms and are hard to recommend.
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