Nicky Henderson is confident Buveur D'Air can bounce back from his early exit at Cheltenham and claim a second victory in today's Betway Aintree Hurdle.
The eight-year-old lined up at Prestbury Park bidding to become the sixth horse in history to win a third Champion Hurdle - and the first since another JP McManus-owned star in the great Istabraq.
However, Buveur D'Air came to grief at the third flight - and heads to Merseyside on a retrieval mission as a result.
Speaking in his Unibet blog, Henderson said: "Obviously he had a fall - and it wasn't a very nice fall. It is the first time he has ever done anything like that.
"He is such a fantastic hurdler, but he does take it to the bare limit. It is very low, it is very fast - but when you cut it to that lowness, that pinpoint accuracy, you only have to be half a millimetre out. It is the difference between brilliant and a fall.
"Unfortunately he got one wrong and he fell in what looked to be a very winnable Champion Hurdle.
"We are going up half a mile, but that doesn't worry me - he has won this race before (in 2017).
"He seems in good form, and I think he comes in here with a big chance."
Henderson also saddles Brain Power and the only mare in the nine-strong field - Verdana Blue.
It is three years since Willie Mullins claimed his first Aintree Hurdle with the great mare Annie Power, and this season the Closutton maestro fires a twin assault - with Ruby Walsh on board Faugheen and Paul Townend partnering Melon.
Faugheen finished third in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, while Melon filled the runner-up spot in the Champion Hurdle for the second year in succession.
"I thought both horses ran well in Cheltenham and I've been happy with them since," said Mullins. "I suppose Melon's run to finish second in the Champion Hurdle is probably the better piece of form, and on the evidence of that run two and a half miles should be good for him.
"Faugheen shouldn't have any problem with the trip. He was going very well at that trip in Cheltenham."
Jessica Harrington's Supasundae is a third Irish challenger. He filled the runner-up spot behind Henderson's L'Ami Serge in this race 12 months ago.
Silver Streak produced what was arguably a career-best performance to finish third in the Champion Hurdle, but trainer Evan Williams admits there are doubts about his stamina as he steps up to two and a half miles for the first time.
He said: "We've been happy with him since Cheltenham. I can't say this was the plan - but it's a big race with great prize-money, and we're willing to give it a go.
"I don't know if he will stay. He's never been two-and-a-half before, and he's never struck me as a horse who would want that sort of trip, but until you give it a go you never know. After running so well at Cheltenham, this was the obvious place to go."
Dan Skelton's County Hurdle hero Ch'tibello and the Tom George-trained Summerville Boy complete the line-up.
Paul Nicholls admits only time will tell how much the Cheltenham Gold Cup has taken out of Clan Des Obeaux (above) as he bids to get back on the winning trail in today's Betway Bowl.
After following up his King George triumph with a dominant display in the rescheduled Denman Chase at Ascot, the seven-year-old was strongly fancied to provide his trainer with a joint-record fifth Gold Cup success at last month's Festival.
However, after travelling well for much of the three-and-a-quarter-mile journey, Clan Des Obeaux weakened on the run-in and finished fifth.
Nicholls hopes his charge can bounce back on Merseyside - provided his Cheltenham exertions have not left a mark.
He said: "You have to say, looking at Cheltenham, that he didn't really stay the last little bit from the back of the last - but he still ran a really good race.
"He has made huge improvement this season in the way he has come on, and I'm looking forward to running him at Aintree. Being back on a flat track will suit him.
"He is a King George winner and a good horse in his own right. As long as he has not had a too hard a race at Cheltenham, he should go well.
"He was fresh and well on Saturday morning, and there was no debate about running him, but you don't know how they have taken it until you run them. He seems fine and he looks great."
The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Bristol De Mai ran his best race at Cheltenham to date in the Gold Cup three weeks ago - finishing two places ahead of Clan Des Obeaux in third.
The dual Betfair Chase hero found only Might Bite too strong in this race 12 months ago, with Clan Des Obeaux a place behind him, and Twiston-Davies is confident he can go one better.
"I'm very hopeful. I think on his Gold Cup run and his Betfair Chase run he is the one to beat," said the Naunton handler.
"He ran well in this race last year and has run well on a lot of different tracks.
"I don't think the ground really matters to him, and we're looking forward to it."
Kemboy (pictured) was the shortest-priced of four Gold Cup runners for Willie Mullins - but unseated the trainer's nephew David after the very first fence.
Mullins - who finally broke his Gold Cup duck with Al Boum Photo - hopes Kemboy's relative freshness will give him the edge at Aintree.
"He is in good form, and we had no issues with him since he came back from Cheltenham," said Mullins.
"Because of what happened in the Gold Cup he's going into the race fresh and well - that's the way we're looking at it.
"We've been happy with him at home and we think Aintree should play to his strengths."
Kemboy is one of three Irish challengers, along with the Gigginstown House Stud-owned pair of Henry de Bromhead's Balko Des Flos and Road To Respect from Noel Meade's yard.
Balko Des Flos has been largely disappointing since running out a brilliant winner of the Ryanair Chase at last year's Cheltenham Festival - but Road To Respect is in good heart, judged on his third place behind Frodon and Bryony Frost in the Ryanair last month.
Meade said: "I'm very happy with him - he seems to have come out of Cheltenham really well. It's a competitive race. But you won't find many Grade Ones that aren't, and I hope we have a big chance."
The sextet is completed by Colin Tizzard's Welsh Grand National hero and Gold Cup sixth Elegant Escape.
Warren Greatrex could not be happier with La Bague Au Roi as his brilliant mare bids to wrap up a third successive Grade One victory in the Devenish Manifesto Novices' Chase.
The eight-year-old has enjoyed a stellar season so far, winning all her four starts over fences and proving equally effective from two and a half to three miles.
After winning the three-mile Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, she lifted the Flogas Novice Chase over three furlongs shorter at Leopardstown in February.
Greatrex decided to sidestep Cheltenham and wait for Aintree, where she also had an alternative engagement in the Mildmay over three miles and a furlong on Friday.
"She's been in very good form since Leopardstown and she's had a nice break," said the Lambourn handler.
"With the weather they're having, they are getting a bit of rain every day and I just thought three miles on Friday might not be right for her.
"She's just as effective over two and a half and the news Defi Du Seuil had come out helped the decision. Richard (Johnson) and the owners agree it's the right race to go for, so we'll give it a shot.
"She seems very good at home, she looks fantastic and she's beaten everything she's taken on so far, so fingers crossed.
"It is a hot race - that's Grade Ones - but she's won two this season already. If she could go and win a third she'd have done exceptionally well this year."
Kalashnikov (above) was going well enough when unseating his rider at the sixth fence in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham.
Amy Murphy is hoping the six-year-old can make amends as he steps up to two and a half miles.
"He's in good order. I'm happy with him. It's a fact-finding mission ahead of next year," said the Newmarket handler.
Nicky Henderson is hoping Pentland Hills can overcome the arduous task of three races in less than six weeks when he lines up for the Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle.
The former Chris Wall-trained gelding made a successful hurdling debut at Plumpton on February 25 after moving to Seven Barrows and then swept to victory in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.
"He has come out of it very well. It does mean that it will be his third consecutive race in quite a short space of time," Henderson told Unibet.
"We went to Plumpton on the Monday and then Friday week he was at Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle - it was a very brave shout.
"He made a horrible mistake at the first (in the Triumph) and my first reaction was, 'Henderson that was a very silly thing to do' to try and bring him in on one run, he just doesn't know enough'.
"Then all of a sudden, having nearly put Nico (de Boinville) through his ears, he picked up, galloped off and travelled beautifully throughout the race."
Henderson also saddles Adjali, who was seventh behind his stablemate in the Triumph Hurdle.
Paul Nicholls believes his decision to byPass Cheltenham with Christopher Wood could prove the right move in the long run.
"I like him and he has done nothing wrong in two starts. He has got to step up in class, but he has done very well since going hurdling," said the Ditcheat handler.
"I looked at that the other day, that he was rated a good few pounds superior to Pentland Hills on the Flat. He is obviously a good horse.
"Some people thought there might be an issue of him staying, but at Fontwell it was heavy ground over two and a quarter miles and he absolutely trotted up and he went to Newbury and won well with a penalty again.
"He could have run well in the Triumph, but it was nice not going to Cheltenham as he comes here fresh and well. He worked brilliantly on Saturday morning."
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(Watch A Day in the Life of Joseph O'Brien)
Joseph O'Brien feels Band Of Outlaws will be able to cope with the step up in class after his victory in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
"Band Of Outlaws has come out of his race at Cheltenham well," he said.
"This represents a big step up in class, but he's in good form at home and we are hopeful he'll run a good race and hopefully get some prize-money."
The County Kilkenny handler also expects Fakir d'Oudairies, who was fourth in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Festival, to make his presence felt.
"He ran well in Cheltenham as well," he said. "He was running against older horses and back against his own age group will be a help. We think he has an each-way chance as well."
