Buveur D’Air is the star name among 10 high-class entries for Thursday’s Betway Aintree Hurdle after the contest was reopened.
Nicky Henderson‘s charge, who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, is one of four possible runners owned by JP McManus.
Buveur D’Air’s stablemate My Tent Or Yours, 2015 winner Jezki and Yanworth are all still in the field although it is likely the latter will opt for the Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle over three miles next Saturday.
Other top-class horses in the Merseyside showpiece include The New One for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who won the race three years ago, while Gordon Elliott‘s Apple’s Jade, winner of the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, is also still in the race but remains doubtful after her owners hinted she would be held back for Irish races later in the year.
Henry de Bromhead’s Identity Thief and Colin Kidd’s Rashaan plus the Paul Nicholls-trained duo of Modus and Old Guard make up the 10 names.