Big Buck’s will face a maximum of six rivals when he bids to stretch his unbeaten run over hurdles to 13 at Newbury on Saturday.
Owner Andy Stewart reports the top-class stayer to be in good shape for his first run of the season as he tries to win the Long Distance Hurdle for the third successive year.
“We haven’t got him completely wound up at this time of the season and we would have done come March, but he’s in exactly the same fine fettle as this time last year,” Stewart told At The Races.
Duc De Regniere, who was second behind the Paul Nicholls-trained triple Ladbrokes World Hurdle victor last year, could take him on again.
The nine-year-old won this race in 2008 and was third to Big Buck’s in 2009. He will be having his first run since joining rookie trainer Tom Symonds from Nicky Henderson’s stable.
Nicholls has also put in Five Dream while Keiran Burke is looking to take on Big Buck’s with the smart mare Sparky May.
Pettifour, who was third in the 2008 renewal, has been given an entry by his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies after finishing second to Dorset Square in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on his first start for 20 months.
The list of possibles, after the Grade Two race was re-opened is completed by Cerium and Indian Pipe Dream.
PA AAP TURF