BUVEUR D’Air did not have to run quickly (other than at the end) to beat The New One comfortably in
the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, but all the signs are that he is as good as he was last season, when a better than average Champion Hurdle winner.

Faugheen may have been even better than that back in 2015, but it will be a long time since his finest hour come Cheltenham in March and he has big questions to answer following his flop in the Ryanair December Hurdle at Leopardstown, for all that his Punchestown win in November stacked
up very well on the clock.