Valiramix shows Champion credentials

Valiramix laid down the gauntlet to reigning Champion Hurdler Istabraq with a demolition job on his rivals in the Stg£30,000 Bula Hurdle at Newbury today.

Tony McCoy barely moved a muscle aboard Martin Pipe`s quick-jumping grey as the pair cruised past long-time leader The French Furze at the second last and scored impressively by nine lengths.

Bookmakers William Hill reacted by making Valiramix 11-2 second-favourite for the hurdlers` crown at Cheltenham in March, while Victor Chandler make the winner a 6-1 chance behind Aidan O`Brien`s superstar.

Pipe praised the powers that be for re-routing the valuable prize from Cheltenham`s abandoned Saturday card and confirmed that Valiramix`s target for the season would be the Champion Hurdle.

The trainer said: 'The Champion Hurdle is his main target but although he`s a lovely, lovely horse and I wish I had a few more like him, I don`t think anything can beat Istabraq. Why should they?

'However, I thought Valiramix was veryimpressive there, as he could not have done it any better.

'He was always cruising and has still won by nine lengths and I think he will improve for that as he had not run for a while.'

Pipe and McCoy made it a short-priced double after Belle d`Anjou reversed recent Sandown form with Rob Leach to lift the Sunley Foundation Intermediate Hurdle.

McCoy may well have notched a treble but for his mount Claymore coming down at the second-last when at the head of affairs for the concluding John Fieldus Retirement National Hunt Novices` Hurdle.

The race went to the Dean Gallagher partnered by Eurotrek.

But the Pipe team suffered a shock reverse in the `Relkeel` Hurdle when Stg£340,000 purchase Magnus, sent off the 1-3 favourite, trailed home last of the five runners.

The French recruit was found to have bled from the nose after travelling and jumping well for a long way in the two mile and five furlong contest, which was won in battling style by Seamus Mullins` See You Sometime.

And owner David Johnson was philosophical in defeat.

He said: 'Hopefully he will be back before the end of the season and, maybe, at Cheltenham in March. I`ve been racing long enough to know that these things happen and at least we know there is a problem.

'It`s probably better to be beaten like that rather than half a length as we wouldn`t know where we were with him.'

Pipe was also upbeat despite the reverse, saying: 'He`s burst a blood vessel and Tony has just eased him home once he knew there was a problem.

'I was actually very pleased with his jumping in the race as he`s been a bit suspect at home. However, what happened is obviously very disappointing and it`s a case of back to the drawing board.

'It`s a hiccup we`ll have to sort out but hopefully I will be up to it.

'We haven`t actually done a lot with him at home since he came from France and we may have run him too quickly in hindsight.'