Oscar bidding for Aintree Hurdle hat-trick Nicky Henderson feels Oscar Whisky can put a baffling Cheltenham Festival performance behind him when he bids to win the John Smith's Aintree Hurdle for the third successive year at the Liverpool track this afternoon. The Seven Barrows trainer admitted he cannot understand why Oscar Whisky underperformed in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but is confident the eight-year-old will be seen in his true colours back on Merseyside. "He's won it twice, so why wouldn't he win it three times?" said Henderson. "I'm not sure quite what happened at Cheltenham. He seems very bright and had been working well since then. "This is his race and his track." Henderson also saddles Grandouet, who appeared to be going exceptionally well when he fell four out in the Champion Hurdle. As that was Grandouet's only second run of the season the trainer has every reason to believe there is more to come. "He was travelling very well and he's a fresh horse, so I'd be very hopeful," he said. Countrywide Flame kept on strongly to claim third place behind Hurricane Fly and Rock On Ruby in the Champion Hurdle and his trainer John Quinn has every reason to be optimistic of another good display. Countrywide Flame stays well and last year he was second to Grumeti in the Grade One Juvenile Hurdle on this card. "We were delighted with him at Cheltenham and he has come out of the race well," said the Malton trainer. "It's a very good race, but he likes the track and he's in good form, so I expect a good run out of him. "He was second in the Cesarewitch over two mile two on the Flat and wasn't stopping. "He ran well at Aintree last year, we are hoping for a good run and are looking forward to it." The New One showed he was the best young horse at this distance when winning the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. His trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is hoping the five-year-old can continue his progression as he takes a hike in class. "He'll have to keep on improving and let's hope he can," said the Naunton handler. "It was a fantastic performance and he deserves the chance at this level." Alan King believes going back up in trip will help Raya Star, who was another horse to miss Cheltenham. "I think the step up back up to two and a half miles will help him," said the Barbury Castle handler. "I would put a line through his run at Wincanton in the Kingwell. "He made a very bad mistake at the third last which put him on the back foot and the ground was very holding that day. "The return to better ground will suit him." Zarkandar was two and a half lengths behind Countrywide Flame in fourth at Cheltenham. The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding will be equipped with blinkers for the first time over hurdles, though he did wear them on the Flat when trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre. "He wore them on the Flat and it might help him," jockey Ruby Walsh told At The Races. Nicholls feels the headgear may also have the desired effect on Zarkandar. "He wore them on the Flat and we've tried him in them at home, they just sharpen him up a little," said the champion trainer. "He's had two hard races at Wincanton and Cheltenham so the question would be how much they've take out of him. I hope he's fresh enough. "There's no doubt he wants the step up in trip, so much so that he'll probably be running over three miles next season. Ruby has always said that Triumph Hurdle winners are stayers. "He's never really been a speed horse, he's always been staying on at the end of two miles." Nicholls also runs Prospect Wells, who collected the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on his last outing. "We've kept him fresh for this," said Nicholls "He's a horse who loves good ground so hopefully it has worked out well. "The second at Fontwell (Meister Eckhart) nearly won the Coral Cup so it's not bad form." Thousand Stars, who finished second in the race for the past two years, will bid to make it third time lucky for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
