Sandown assignment for Buveur D’Air

Horse Racing
Punchestown target for Buveur D'Air

Nicky Henderson has confirmed Buveur D’Air will contest the Listed Contenders Hurdle at Sandown this weekend.

Henderson’s charge will bid to complete a Champion Hurdle hat-trick in March after winning the 2017 and 2018 editions of the race and the Sandown outing will serve as preparation the Cheltenham Festival. The eight-year-old saw an 11-race unbeaten run ended by stablemate Verdana Blue in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle last month but Henderson remains unconcerned and is hoping for a big performance from Buveur D’Air on Saturday.

‘Barry [Geraghty] rode him in work on Saturday and thought he was great,’ Henderson told the Racing Post. ‘There’s been no problem since Kempton, he was just beaten by my flying machine! He added: ‘He takes plenty of work which is why I want to run him this weekend. The timing is good and I just hope the weather holds out. I don’t know who is going to join in but I haven’t put anything else in the race.’ Buveur D’Air is the current favourite for the Champion Hurdle, ahead of Laurina and Apple’s Jade, and he is likely to come up against Verdana Blue again at Cheltenham.

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