Big Buck’s is one of 34 horses entered in the World Hurdle on March 15 as he aims to create history by becoming the first horse to win the same race at the Cheltenham Festival four years running.
Owned by Andy Stewart and his family, he is now unbeaten in 14 starts since reverting to timber and looked imperious last time out in the Long Walk Hurdle.
Paul Nicholls has also entered the Stewart-owned Celestial Halo, Crack Away Jack, Poungach, Tidal Bay, Five Dream and King Of The Night
Nicky Henderson’s Oscar Whisky is his main market rival and is likely to step up to three miles (4800m) for the first time in March.
Henderson has also entered Bobs Worth, one of the favourites for the RSA Chase.
Willie Mullins poses the biggest numerical threat, with the likes of So Young, Zaidpour, Mikael D’Haguenet, Thousand Stars, Quevega and Mourad engaged.
The Colm Murphy-trained Voler La Vedette is another Irish entry.
Another due to take on Big Buck’s is Robin Dickin’s Restless Harry, who has tried novice chasing this season.
“The World Hurdle is on the radar for Restless Harry and we will make a decision whether to keep him over hurdles or return to chasing in due course,” Dickin said.
“He will probably be entered in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham and he could go for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on the same card.
“If he didn’t run there, I might look at the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock instead.
“He never runs a bad race and his Wetherby run at the start of the season was astonishing. I am not quite sure what that was about so I am not sure how to recreate it – I would have thought that the run would have brought him on.
“Going chasing isn’t off the agenda with him but the season is getting on and there are such huge prizes on offer with the long-distance hurdles. He got a little bit chopped coming round the top turn in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle and I think that he has improved slightly since then.”
The David Pipe-trained trio of Our Father, Bobby Ewing and Dynaste, John Quinn’s Recession Proof and Featherbed Lane, trained by Philip Hobbs, are also engaged.
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