North Yorkshire trainer Mark Walford is Buzzing for his top Ascot prospect

The five-year-old gelding is among the market leaders for the Karen Codd Novices' Handicap Hurdle (1.15) which has attracted nine runners to Berkshire.

Buzz Iceclear won on his seasonal outing over three miles at Ayr on November 1 and followed it up at the end of last month when claiming the three-mile wetherbyracing.co.uk Handicap Hurdle, beating stablemate Farmer Jimmy by three lengths.

He has been upped 10 pounds for that success, but heads to Ascot with his Sheriff Hutton handler in confident mood for a horse who returned a different animal from his summer break.

Walford said: “We are really happy with him. He did really well throughout the summer and he just came back in a different horse.

"As soon as he started doing any faster work we realised he was going to be much improved.”

The ground at Ascot yesterday, where Walford’s Push The Button finished second under Jamie Hamilton in the Howden Noel Novices' Chase, was soft, good to soft in places and the handler says the going is key to his charge.

"He won well beating a Gordon Elliott horse up at Ayr [Themanintheboots] on very soft ground,” he said.

“It wasn’t quick ground at Wetherby but we’d have preferred it a bit softer, but he did it nicely that day, beating one of our horses Farmer Jimmy.

"It was hard to know how much he had in hand, really, that day he won so easily. Jamie didn’t really have to ask him any questions.

“I’d imagine he will today but we feel like he is in really good form coming into it.”

Buzz’s main rivals today look to be Nicky Henderson’s Fresh Kicks, the mount of James Bowen and Mount Gay Run for Dan and Harry Skelton.

But Walford travels from North Yorkshire to the Long Walk Hurdle meeting quietly confident that his horse can upset the big yards.

He said: "It’s a tough race as you’d expect coming down here, there will be no easy pickings.

"It is very competitive and it is hard to know where they are that with their handicap marks, but I do feel like Buzz has a little bit in hand with his mark – it is whether something else has a bit more or not.”

Either way, the trainer has no regrets about aiming for bigger races and prizes for his horses.

"I’m always a big believer in trying a better race. It is quite easy sometimes to pick up a few smaller races and by the time you go for a good one you are probably badly handicapped. There is certainly a time to try certain horses out in deeper waters and I just feel that this is the right time for him.”

Walford is also quick to praise the influence of rider Hamilton on the horse and stable.

"Jamie has ridden him in his first two wins and he rides nearly all of our jumpers. He rides them at home and is a big help to us.”

Overall it has been a great year for dual purpose trainer Walford who is looking forward to what the new year brings.

He said: “Our horses have been in good form. Coming on the back of our best-ever flat season – with our most winners – which was great.

“The jumpers are ticking along, we have had a nice few winners but not got into gear yet, but I think it is coming. We are going to have more runners over Christmas and into the new year.

"We have got some nice horses and it is nice to be competing down at Ascot and having a few horses who are capable of doing it.”

Elsewhere, at Haydock Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith will be hoping to strike with Grand Geste in the Betfred Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (2.05).

Guiseley trainer Sam England’s Saligo Bay and rider Richie McLernon bid to complete a hat-trick of wins in the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Handicap Hurdle (12.55) and she also runs Haarar in the opening hurdle (11.45).