On the contrary. He was fully entitled to win and he's clearly the best horse in the race:
NWC 2.05
BETVICTOR FIGHTING FIFTH HURDLE (GRADE 1) (Class 1) (4yo+) Winner £61,897 6 runners 2m98y Good To Soft ITV
[TABLE="width: 806"]
[TR]
[TD]
Form
[/TD]
[TD]
Horse
[/TD]
[TD]
Stats
[/TD]
[TD]
Age
[/TD]
[TD]
Weight
[/TD]
[TD]
Trainer
[/TD]
[TD]
Jockey
[/TD]
[TD]
OR
[/TD]
[TD]
MON
[/TD]
[TD]
Notes
[/TD]
[TD]
RPR
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]/1111-
[/TD]
[TD] Buveur D'Air
[/TD]
[TD]CD
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Nicky Henderson
[/TD]
[TD]Barry Geraghty
[/TD]
[TD]169
[/TD]
[TD]166
[/TD]
[TD]+ (169)
[/TD]
[TD]174
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]22311-
[/TD]
[TD] Summerville Boy
[/TD]
[TD]D
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Tom George
[/TD]
[TD]Noel Fehily
[/TD]
[TD]156
[/TD]
[TD]161
[/TD]
[TD]+p
[/TD]
[TD]163
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]111F-2
[/TD]
[TD] Samcro
[/TD]
[TD]D bf
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Gordon Elliott
[/TD]
[TD]Jack Kennedy
[/TD]
[TD]160
[/TD]
[TD]160
[/TD]
[TD]+
[/TD]
[TD]168
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13-411
[/TD]
[TD] Bedrock
[/TD]
[TD]tp D
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Iain Jardine
[/TD]
[TD]Rachael Blackmore
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]? p
[/TD]
[TD]165
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]42049-
[/TD]
[TD] Bleu Et Rouge
[/TD]
[TD]D
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Ben Haslam
[/TD]
[TD]William Kennedy
[/TD]
[TD]152
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]160
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]622-U2
[/TD]
[TD] Vision Des Flos
[/TD]
[TD]t D
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]11-7
[/TD]
[TD]Colin Tizzard
[/TD]
[TD]Robbie Power
[/TD]
[TD]150
[/TD]
[TD]150
[/TD]
[TD]p?
[/TD]
[TD]157
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
If he hadn't won today, a lack of match fitness would have been a ready excuse but all he did was outspeed Samcro in a public gallop. The other three were only there for the fresh air and to pick up some place money scraps in the process.
I'll get a closer look at the form in due course but I don't think BDA needed to be any more than 80% fit today. I couldn't have backed Samcro with bad money and felt if SB was fully wound up for an opportunity to beat a less-than-fit BDA he had a chance. As it was he hardly met a single hurdle correctly (either by accident or design) and had no chance from halfway, after which point the jockey looked after him. If I end up giving BDA a big figure I'll be first on here to say so.