THE 3/1 favourite Ballyandy won Saturday's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, one of the biggest handicaps of the jumps season.

Winner of the Cheltenham bumper a year ago, Ballyandy had been beaten on all three of his previous starts over hurdles this season but they had been in hot company and many felt the handicapper had been too lenient giving this Grade 1 winner a handicap mark of 135.