TUESDAY’S CHAMPION Hurdle runner-up Celestial Halo could end up being the odd-man-out if Paul Nicholls wins the Gold Cup as Big Buck’s continued the champion trainer’s dominance of Cheltenham’s championship races by landing yesterday’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle.
Nicholls and Ruby Walsh came here with hopes of a whitewash in the festival’s four major races and only the neck that separated Celestial Halo from Punjabi looks like preventing that from happening.
Unlike Master Minded’s silky-smooth Champion Chase victory, Big Buck’s had to get the better of a prolonged scrap with Punchestowns to land the spoils. But since the three mile highlight more than anything demands the ability to slog it out then the 6 to 1 shot was an apt winner.
Equally appropriate was that he didn’t win easily because easy is not what this horse is. It’s only three months since Big Buck’s threw away his chance in the Hennessy Gold Cup by unseating Sam Thomas at the last. The decision was taken then to return to hurdles, and to make sure Walsh rode him.
“He is not an easy ride and I wanted Ruby to ride him. We need that man on board. If we went for the Gold Cup that wasn’t going to happen so I persuaded Andy (Stewart-owner) to aim for this race,” Nicholls said.
Walsh for his part was happy to take up the challenge. “I love riding this horse. He’s a ride to nothing. He wasn’t going well at the top of the hill and he never jumped a hurdle down the back. This horse has a huge engine but it is getting it out of him because he’s a bit quirky,” said the champion jockey who was winning the race for the first time.
“I was delighted to see Christophe (Pieux on Kasbah Bliss) arriving on the outside because I was supposed to keep behind him,” Walsh added. “But when I got to Punchestowns he just came on the bridle and I thought ‘Jesus, he’s coming again’!”
Those who had taken the view that Kasbah Bliss was a worthy odds-on favourite to go one better than last year knew their fate before the straight and the French star struggled home in fourth.
Even allowing for the fact that his jockey Christophe Pieux gave the outside to nobody throughout the last circuit, it was a disappointing effort. “He was not like the horse at the top of his form that I know. He did not have the power when I asked for it and I knew on the back straight something was missing,” Pieux said through a translator.
What we do know is that Big Buck’s is now the champion stayer over hurdles after beginning this season over fences. And we also know that he will stick to the smaller obstacles next season.
“While Kauto Star is as good as he is, why take him on with this horse. I can’t see why he can’t win this race again next year,” Nicholls said.
“After all, if he keeps doing that – that’ll do!”
