Buveur D'Air will face just four rivals on his reappearance in the Unibet Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday. Having kicked off last season with successive victories over sbo fences, the JP McManus-owned six-year-old was switched back to the smaller obstacles by Nicky Henderson and it proved a masterstroke as he went on to claim Champion Hurdle glory at Cheltenham. He will be prohibitive odds to make a successful comeback at Gosforth Park in a Grade One event Henderson has previously won with Landing Light (2001), Punjabi (2008) and My Tent Or Yours (2013). Irving won the Fighting Fifth sbo in 2014 and 2016 and bids for the hat-trick for Paul Nicholls. The Nick Williams-trained Flying Tiger turns out three weeks after finishing third behind the ill-fated London Prize in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. Pauline Robson's Katgary and Mirsaale from Keith Dalgleish's yard make up the field.