Henderson gives update on Champion Hurdle contenders

Nicky Henderson is set to be triply represented in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival and gave a positive update on his stars as well as revealing who he thinks will step in to ride leading fancy Buveur D’Air in the two-mile Championship contest, following the news that Barry Geraghty would miss the Festival due to the injuries he sustained when falling from Henderson’s Charli Parcs at Kempton Park.

Buveur D’Air heads Henderson’s trio after being switched from fences to hurdling by Henderson half-way through the season. The JP McManus owned-gelding was an impressive winner of the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown Park and will be joined by stable-mate Brain Power who was an impressive winner of two handicap hurdles at Sandown and Ascot in December now steps up to Graded open company, with My Tent Or Yours, second to Jezki in the 2014 Champion Hurdle, completing Henderson’s three.

The Lambourn handler, reflecting on Buveur D’Air’s potential rider, suggested Noel Fehily who rode the gelding last year, would step in to take the ride.

Asked whether Fehily would ride the 3/1 joint-favourite, Henderson commented:

I suspect he will. I saw JP on Monday and I don’t think anybody has really discussed it as there are so many horses involved in the conundrum. We’ve got My Tent Or Yours in there as well. Mark Walsh will come over from Ireland to ride a number of them (McManus horses). There are a lot of jockeys that do know some of the horses though.

Discussing Brain Power who has not run since December but took part in a racecourse gallop, he remarked:

We were pleased with Brain Power’s gallop at Kempton on Saturday. The whole thing hinges on the going. That was beautiful ground at Kempton and Brain Power loved it.

We know it will be good to soft on the first day. If it is softer than that Buveur D’Air would have the advantage, if we got better than good to soft then the advantage would go to the other horse and My Tent Or Yours sits somewhere in the middle.