BUVEUR D'Air emulated the achievement of Annie Power from 12 months ago as he followed up Champion Hurdle glory at Cheltenham in the Grade 1 Betway Aintree Hurdle.

The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old started off this season novice chasing, but his trainer felt he had "unfinished business" over the smaller obstacles and was proved spectacularly right as he lifted the two-mile championship last month.

Sent off the 4/9 favourite to do the double upped in trip to two and a half miles, the JP McManus-owned winner took the rise in distance in his stride.

The New One set out to make sure any stamina limitations in Buveur D'Air would be exposed, setting a decent pace until giving way at the second-last. It was at that point the market leader, although needing to be shaken up by Barry Geraghty to do so, passed the 2014 victor and pressed on down to the last.

After safely negotiating the final flight, he was just kept up to his work before crossing the line five lengths clear of stablemate and Champion Hurdle runner-up My Tent Or Yours.

Geraghty said: "He did that really well, he was obviously back in his Cheltenham form and Nicky has done a great job to get him back so soon. He's a very good horse. He's sharp, he's buzzy - he's a proper two-miler really. It's great for Nicky having the first two (as he chases the trainers' championship)."

Henderson said: "It seems so unfair doing this to My Tent as if any horse deserved to win here or at Cheltenham it's him, but all we are doing is beating him ourselves which seems so ridiculous! Where else can you go, you have to come here and the Cheltenham form has been confirmed.

"Buveur had quite a tough race at Cheltenham, they all do, no matter how easy they win, it's like Defi Du Seuil, they come out of it well but they won't have done much.

"We'll speak to JP, but I'd have thought it would be unlikely he'll go to Punchestown. It will probably be shoes off and out for his summer break.

"There's a long way to go in the championship but we've got some nice horses over the first couple of days and then all we can do is sit back - you never know we might win it (National) with Cocktails At Dawn. It's fun, Paul (Nicholls) and I will have a laugh about it."

GRADE 1 BETWAY BOWL

Rider Lizzie Kelly celebrated a huge success at Aintree as Tea For Two saw off the gallant Cue Card in the Grade 1 Betway Bowl.

Kelly made history in December 2015 when becoming the first female rider to win a Grade 1 in Britain as Tea For Two, trained by her father Nick Williams and part-owned by her mother Jane, landed the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton.

But this success will have arguably meant more, coming as it did against one of the best stayers of recent years in Cue Card and on the first day of the Grand National meeting.

Kelly, who had been left hugely disappointed when unseated from Tea For Two at the second fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, said: "That was fantastic. We were quietly confident going into the Gold Cup when our dreams were taken away from us.

"He's a horse that has produced time and time again for me and my family, everyone else puts in more work than I do but I get the opportunity to ride him. He was a dream ride."

Content to bide her time in the early stages of the race, which were dominated by Bristol De Mai and Silviniaco Conti, Kelly gradually moved her mount into a challenging position as the contest developed. But just like 12 months ago, it looked as if Colin Tizzard's 2/1 favourite Cue Card would claim the spoils having fallen in the Gold Cup on his previous start, after opening up a lead over the fourth-last with a bold leap.

That advantage was soon closed down by the 10/1 winner, with little to separate the pair over the penultimate fence. It was on the run down the last that the younger legs of Tea For Two asserted and after meeting it on a good stride, Kelly kept her willing partner up to the task to defeat the rallying Cue Card by a fast-diminishing neck.

Kelly added: "This means more than winning the Grade 1 at Kempton on him, I didn't really appreciate that at the time, but this is special.

"We didn't let on how confident we were coming here today, we were always more confident about him handling this better than Cheltenham because he's done all his winning on flat tracks. It's fantastic for the yard, I missed our winner at Cheltenham this year but I've had my reward today.

"My mum deals with him on a day-to-day basis. It was hard what happened in the Gold Cup after all the build-up and he has been different at home. She said to me she didn't know what I'd find today, he'd had a long season, but she's done a lot of hard work with him.

"Next year's Gold Cup dream is still alive."

GRADE 1 DOOM BAR ANNIVERSARY 4-Y-O JUVENILE HURDLE

Defi Du Seuil claimed his third top-level success after completing a Cheltenham Festival and Aintree double in grinding out victory in the Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle. Having landed the Triumph Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the Philip Hobbs-trained gelding made it seven wins from as many starts since joining the Minehead handler.

Reunited with Barry Geraghty having been partnered by Richard Johnson at Cheltenham, the 4/11 favourite was forced to get serious for a period late on before finally asserting. Held up in mid-division early on, the JP McManus-owned four-year-old, together with Fred Winter runner-up Divin Bere, moved through to take command after the second-last.

With little to choose between the pair over the final flight it was only halfway up the run-in that the odds-on favourite obliged, pulling clear for a length-and-a-quarter success to complete a double achieved in years gone by through the likes of Zarkandar, Detroit City and Katchit.

Geraghty said: "He's been brilliant all season but he was very good at Cheltenham. He's a horse with a future, obviously, but to come back and do what he's done today and win again, I think that's seven wins, he's been busy.

"He's very good and he can only improve with time, but it's very hard for a juvenile to hold that level of form all season - Philip has done a brilliant job with him."

Hobbs said: "He's still unbeaten over hurdles and the bubble has not been burst yet! We've had two other Triumph Hurdle winners (Made In Japan and Detroit City) but this one would be the best of them.

"We need to talk to JP and everybody else to see what the plan will be for next season, but we've plenty of time to do that. He's very adaptable and he's very tough, he just takes it all very well."

"The thing with most juvenile wonders is they've probably been in training since they were yearlings. This horse did have a couple of AQPS bumpers in France, but it's different to a flat horse who has been in training a long time. I would certainly think he ought to train on.

"He's got a fantastic attitude and is a lovely horse to deal with in every way."

Asked whether he could run at Punchestown, the trained added: "I'm not sure. We'll probably make a decision on that in the next week to 10 days."

Looking to next season, Geraghty, who was forced to miss Cheltenham through injury, said: "I'd say he'll be going the Champion Hurdle route, but he's got a lot of scope to jump a fence as well. It was painful watching Cheltenham, but the ribs would have been hurting more if I'd ridden Yanworth in the Champion Hurdle watching Buveur D'Air winning!"

GRADE 1 MANIFESTO NOVICES' CHASE

Flying Angel showed an admirable attitude to take his form to new heights and land the Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree. Sixth in the JLT Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival when virtually brought to a halt by a faller six out, the six-year-old bounced back to register his third win over fences and first at Grade 1 level.

Racing prominently throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest, the 5/1 shot pressed on under Noel Fehily into a clear advantage past the weakening Frodon on the run to four out. Despite being momentarily headed by Arkle runner-up Cloudy Dream over the last, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding rallied to good effect to get back up and take victory by a length.

The winner was introduced at 25/1 for next year's Ryanair Chase by Paddy Power.

Twiston-Davies said: "He's very tough, he jumped well and did everything right. What would have happened at Cheltenham when he was so unlucky? All ground comes alike to him, it's wonderful."

Fehily said: "He toughed it out well. When Brian Hughes came looming up to me between the last two I thought I was in a little bit of trouble, but I knew my fellow wouldn't stop as he's so tough.

"I thought I was going OK at Cheltenham when he was badly hampered and I just nursed him home, I felt he'd have finished close that day - I'm not sure the lads believed me, but he's proven it today.

"He's a typical Nigel Twiston-Davies horse, he's fit, he stays, he jumps and he's tough so it's wise to make good use of him."

Twiston-Davies added: "It was our worst Cheltenham ever. I spent the whole time in hospital with my son (Willy), who should have been riding him today.

"As Noel says, would he have won at Cheltenham? Probably. It's a great shame, but we've got a consolation. He was really gutsy. They went no gallop at all and it would have helped if there'd been more of a gallop.I was really worried whether he should have gone for the two-mile race, but he's done it well and we're chuffed to bits.

"I wouldn't have thought he'll run again this season. Next season he could go to the top, hopefully. The Ryanair (Chase) might be a race for him, but he looks like a stayer. We won't be making too many predictions, but he's a really exciting horse. He's got all the attributes."

Cloudy Dream's trainer Malcolm Jefferson was philosophical about filling the runner-up spot again, saying: "We're disappointed not to win, especially after finishing second at Cheltenham, but somebody had to be second and he's still run a cracking race.

"I don't know if we'll run him again (this season). There's the Future Champions at Ayr, but I'd have to be very happy with him to run as he's run in two Grade 1s now and I wouldn't want to disappoint him. You can get to the bottom of them running in these big races."

RANDOX FOXHUNTERS' CHASE

Dineur showed his appreciation for a return to the Grand National fences by going one better than 12 months ago in the Randox Foxhunters' Chase. After finishing second to On The Fringe last year, the 11-year-old emphatically turned the tables on that rival when staying on strongly under James King.

Having finished a well-held second on his most recent start at Chepstow, the Mickey Bowen-trained gelding was sent off a 16/1 chance to capture the two-mile-five affair.

Kept handy throughout by King, he joined leader Darwins Fox at the last and forged on into a clear lead at the elbow.

Although 15-year-old Big Fella Thanks tried to match strides with the eventual winner, it was left to Balnaslow to chase home Dineur, with a length and three-quarters separating them at the line.

Favourite On The Fringe was pulled-up before the second-last.

King said: "He was brilliant, it was a bit lairy over the first couple but then we got into a nice rhythm. The horse is fine, he just went into the cooling area as he got a bit warm. Given what happened last year when I was mindful that he tired a bit after the last I just held on to him a bit longer.

"It got rough on the elbow but I think in those situations you are best just to put your head down and keep your line.

"I'm down to a 5lb claim now and just enjoying it, but we'll review it at the end of the season and see what my boss Neil Mulholland has to say."

Bowen said: "He's quite tired and he's got a bit of a nick, but he's gone back to his stable and he's fine. He's an amazing horse. I felt all the way through he was in better form this year as last season he was coming back from a leg injury. Hopefully we can try again next year."