Plans are in place to give Buveur D'Air, who registered back-to-back victories in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday, a racecourse gallop ahead of the defence of his title at Prestbury Park on March 13.

Henderson said: "I could have done with a little bit of a harder race really. It would have been better to push him out instead of pulling him up, but it was fine and exactly what we wanted and I'm not complaining.

"He is a horse that needs plenty of work. Barry (Geraghty) said he was still taking blows. He will go to a racecourse for a gallop, but he won't go to Newbury this weekend. I wouldn't mind going somewhere on grass rather than on the all weather because he loves that soft ground.

"If there was somewhere I could gallop around grass in two weeks time, I would like to do that. He will go to a racecourse for a gallop, there is no doubt about that.

"Whereas I could go to Cheltenham with Altior or Might Bite without a run, I couldn't go there without him having a run. He hasn't had a race as such this season and that is the worry. He is a brute and you have to fire work into him. You have got to really be on top of him."

Kempton in 2 weeks time please Nicky, I will be there and would be a nice bonus to see him.

Send him up to the Morebattle Hurdle, he's done that before with CH hopes.

On a Tuesday night at 21:15?!

To knock Buveur Dair is churlish in the extreme.

He struck me as a very high class horse prior to his 3rd in the Supreme (when he was still very inexperienced at that point and stormed home up the hill after fluffing his lines 2 out).

I think he has improved again since then and it's not his fault nobody can serve it up to him. Admittedly, it would be nice to see a realistic challenger; but we are looking at it from a punting perspective as his odds are unbackable - but there is nothing else realistically to live with him.

History will show, like Istabraq etc, he was simply too good and fondly remembered by this current generation of race fans.

Only 4ish horses less than 40's on here, quite possibly one or two of those won't run.

Leaves BD, F & MTOY to be first 3, what else realistically?

Perhaps 8 or 9 runners tops.

Has Elliott confirmed Apples Jade is nailed for the Mares? See there’s an entry for this (as well as Stayers) & wondering whether they might just give it a crack given the field this year?

O'Leary said that he has no interest in trying to win the stayers with her.

Thanks gents. When you look at the entries for how this race will pan out it could end up being a field of 8-9 runners on the day. The more I think about it, I could end up having the same biggest bet I had at last year's Festival in MTOY to be placed at around 3/1. That to me is more value than backing a 4/6 fav as one of the bankers of the meeting. Despite the fact he's an 11 year old now, with this year's renewal being the poorest one I can remember, I simply can't see him out of the frame... if you look at the market for this race: Buveur D'Air (4/9) should win easily, behind him Faugheen (6/1) needs to find about a stone on his last run to win (possible although unlikely), MTOY (12/1), Yorkhill (NR surely), Melon (20/1) - held by Faugheen and the others ahead of him in market, Min (NR), Apples Jade (NR as ppl have confirmed on here!), The New One (NR), then you're at the Ch'Tibello/Mick Jazz's of the hurdling scene who imo are a defined league below. The only other possibility I could see of an upset to MTOY not being placed is Defi Du Seuil bouncing back and showing some of his promise last season and making the frame. It could even be a McManus 1,2,3 come to think of it. If it ends up 8/9 runners then MTOY in the first 3 and indeed the market w/o Buveur at around 5/1 currently makes a lot of appeal. Any other year I'd be against backing an 11 year old in this, but this isn't any other year. I can't imagine the prices on the day once all of the NRs have pulled out will be 12/1 on him.

Personally I wouldn't be looking at the place market at this time, too many inponderables, you've got one spot taken by the fav. to start with, Defi could get a place on better ground, who knows, Yorkhill could turn up here and do absolutely anything!!, melon easily has a place run in him, Plus in MTOY'S, you are going to be backing a horse that throretically is going to be actually racing to win, which may cost him late on.

I'd much rather in these instances support something where I think connections are pragmatically going to keep their horse out of the heat and try and pick up a place running past horses that have run their race.

the w/o fave market sounds like it might be popular nearer the day.

With lots likely to be dropping out, how many runners go to post do we reckon?

just took 14-1 0n native river altior double boost.
regret it already lol.

A few out after yesterday.

No idea what the plan is now with Douvan, as he is now a non runner tomorrow.
I would imagine that leaves Min as the number one 2 mile chaser though.
But like you say, you get your money back anyway.

It depends if they think they're getting him hard fit at home and ready to run at 100%. If they are satisfied they've ticked those boxes then it isn't such a stretch because he's a better horse than Altior.

"If" Douvan comes back the same horse as he was at his best, which is a big ask, he is unquestionably better than Altior IMO.

Altior beat two good horses in the Supreme and one of them is the present Champion Hurdle winner. On the other hand Douvan beat  Shaneshill who clearly is not a 2 miler; he also beat Sizing John who again is not a 2 miler either. Thus, I do have reservation that Douvan is the better of the two 2 milers even on his best form.

Let's hope Douvan makes it and do battle with Altior.

Although Douvan wins aesthetically.

You’ve got to hand it to Imp, he’s consistent in his use of the SNH as a guide to how good a horse is.
We are now going back 3 years to a novice hurdle, to judge how good multiple G1 winning chaser Douvan is!
I wonder how he squares these two arguments: BD is gash as Altior beat him in a Supreme V Altior is better than Douvan as he beat BD - the ‘reigning champion hurdler’ no less - in a Supreme?
The gift that keeps giving.......

Let's hope Douvan gets to the festival, setting aside what "actually" happens in the race for a moment, the build up would get that much needed shot in the arm wouldn't it?