Walsh hails ‘incredible’ Big Buck’s as Nicholls says prep run seems unlikely

Jockey Ruby Walsh does not think so. He believes the eight-year-old may only now be approaching his peak.

He was speaking after Big Buck’s moved another step closer to jumping immortality with a faultless display in the Lough Derg Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

Victory in the Grade One event was the 14th on the bounce for the equine superstar, moving him one ahead of Bula as he closes in on Sir Ken’s record of 16 set in the 1950s.

Young pretender Dynaste set out to test the 3-10 favourite from the front, and for a brief moment going to three out Ruby Walsh had to niggle along Big Buck’s.

Yet this was just one of the momentary flat spots that the horse has in his races. The response was almost instant; he jumped the penultimate flight in front and sauntered clear from there with nonchalance.

The exertions in taking on Big Buck’s took a toll on Dynaste, who weakened as Five Dream and Restless Harry took the minor honours.

“He’s an incredible stayer with loads of pace. He’s just a very good horse. He’s maturing and growing up,” said Walsh.

“Going right-handed wasn’t an issue; it might have been a few years ago but not now. He’s incredible.”

Trainer Paul Nicholls concurred as he confirmed that Big Buck’s will not have a prep run before he attempts to win an unprecedented fourth successive renewal of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

“He’s all class. He looked fat at Newbury and I thought he was a lot fitter (on Saturday),” said Nicholls. “He’s such a character and you’ve really got to manage him. But he was really good and I hope he will continue to be hard to beat.

“We’ll have to see, but I wouldn’t have thought he would run again until Cheltenham.

“He won’t ever go over fences now. He doesn’t like them and he is too good at that job.”

Given that David Pipe’s Grands Crus last season, and now Dynaste, could not beat Big Buck’s, it is conceivable that this hurdling freak could remain undefeated for another two seasons.

After all, Restless Harry – well-beaten on Saturday – had sufficient class to run away with the John Smith’s Hurdle at Wetherby in late October.

Yet, having amassed in excess of £1m prize money for owner Andy Stewart, connections might – for the good of the sport – be tempted to reappraise their options if they beat Sir Ken’s record.

Some, like respected TV pundit and former champion jockey John Francome, say Big Buck’s has the class to win the Ascot Gold Cup – one of Flat racing’s blue riband contests.

Others would like to see Big Buck’s revert to fences; he was, after all, regarded by Nicholls as a Gold Cup contender before coming to grief in the 2008 Hennessy.

As for Pipe, he can take solace from the fact that Dynaste will be better suited by less arduous going.

That said, the trainer does not believe that Dynaste, who was stepping up markedly in class after a facile Haydock win, can beat Big Buck’s in a World Hurdle off level weights. “We will have to sit down and have a think about where he goes next,” he said.

After Big Buck’s showed he can handle right-handed tracks, Paul Duffy hopes Diamond Harry – the 2010 Hennessy hero – can do likewise.

Well-beaten by Kauto Star and Long Run at Haydock after missing Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase after arriving at the track slightly lame, the horse has another crack at racing’s elite in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

It should be an eeyecatching ride for Saltburn jockey James Reveley, stable jockey to the yard of Devon trainer Nick Williams.

But Duffy said yesterday: “The question is will he go right-handed round Kempton as he’s always gone left-handed before?

“That’s not because we’ve avoided going the other way round. That’s the way it’s turned out. We don’t know the answer. He jumps straight enough, but he might prefer a galloping track like Haydock and Newbury. Kempton’s a tighter track.

“He’d obviously like the ground to be soft. If it is, it would suit him.

“Ultimately if he gets placed behind horses like Kauto Star, Master Minded and Long Run, and if he finishes close up to them, then you’d say he’s run well.

“It’s a dream having a horse good enough to run in races like this. Anything he does is a bonus because we are still aiming at the Gold Cup.”