Big Buck’s heads World Hurdle entries

Big Buck’s aims to take his third consecutive World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

 

BIG BUCK'S heads a total of 46 entries for this season's Ladbrokes World Hurdle, as the Paul Nicholls-trained star bids to win the race for the third consecutive year.

He could face outstanding novice hurdler Mikael D'Haguenet, who won the 2009 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but has been disappointing since sent novice chasing this season and now features among the World Hurdle entries, at a best-priced 16-1.

Big Buck's hasn't tasted defeat since November 2008 when unseating Sam Thomas in the Hennessy, and was subsequently sent back over hurdles with devastating effect, winning ten races - five of which were Grade 1s - in a row.

Alongside the general 4-7 favourite, Nicholls has also entered stablemates Celestial Halo and Organisateur.

The runner-up in the 2009 running, Punchestowns, could represent the red-hot Nicky Henderson, with Spirit River and Oscar Whisky also holding entries for the trainer.

Restless Harry was last seen finishing third to Big Buck's in the A.P. Wins Sports Personality Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury last month, and trainer Robin Dickin will head to Cheltenham next week with high hopes of a good performance from the general 33-1 shot in the World Hurdle market.

He said: "Restless Harry runs in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday week and I am hopeful that he can run a big race. He is tremendously well in himself and we always said that we would remain over hurdles this season because of his limited mileage.

"All we saw was the fog when he ran at Newbury but Lough Derg is a top-class horse on his day and it was far from a disgrace to go down by a head to him. There are probably four or five horses that are quite evenly matched behind Big Buck's but you should never be scared of taking on one horse - who would have thought that Kauto Star would have got beaten on Saturday?

"It's not his fault that he is competing in the top staying hurdles but when you run in those kind of races, then you are bound to take on champions like Big Buck's."

Other notable entries include Karabak, Bensalem and Walkon for the Alan King yard.

WORLD HURDLE BETTING:

Big Buck's     4/7
Mourad     10/1
Grands Crus     10/1
Oscar Whisky     10/1
Punchestowns     10/1
Quevega     12/1
Karabak     16/1
Zaynar     16/1
Mikael D'Haguenet     16/1
Ashkazar     20/1
Khyber Kim     20/1
Solwhit     20/1
Bensalem     25/1
Any Given Day     25/1
Luska Lad     25/1

WORLD HURDLE BETTING WITHOUT BIG BUCK’S:

Karabak     5/1
Grand Crus     5/1
Mourad     5/1
Punchestowns     5/1
Quevega     5/1
Mikael D'Haguenet     7/1
Zaynar     8/1
Bensalem     10/1
Ashkazar     10/1
Solwhit     10/1
Any Given Day     12/1
Celestial Halo     12/1
Luska Lad     12/1
Powerstation     16/1
Restless Harry     16/1
Berties Dream     20/1
Fair Along     20/1