Grand National Festival 2017 – Buveur D’Air the headline act as six are declared for the Aintree Hurdle

CHAMPION Hurdle hero Buveur D'Air will face five rivals in the Betway Aintree Hurdle on Thursday.

Buveur D'Air landed the Top Novices' Hurdle here 12 months ago, but Nicky Henderson's six-year-old kicked off this season over fences, winning at Haydock and Warwick.

However, Henderson saw an opening in the two-mile hurdling division and the JP McManus-owned gelding provided his trainer with a record sixth victory in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham just over three weeks ago.

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He steps up to two and a half miles on his return to Merseyside and is reopposed by his stable companion and fellow McManus runner My Tent Or Yours.

The 10-year-old has finished second in the Champion Hurdle three times and chased home the brilliant mare Annie Power in this event last season.

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The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained The New One was only fifth in the Champion Hurdle, but could be seen to better effect over this longer trip.

Paul Nicholls saddles Old Guard, while the Irish challenge is made up of Colin Kidd's Rashaan and Henry de Bromhead's Identity Thief, who reverts to hurdles for the first time this season.