RACING:BIG BUCK'S may be the "weirdo" among the tiny band of elite horses that Ruby Walsh and Paul Nicholls have dominated Cheltenham with in recent years but the weird one showed both Kauto Star, Denman and Master Minded how to do it with a hat-trick of Ladbrokes World Hurdle victories yesterday.
Despite a slow pace, a gaggle of pretenders queuing up behind to take him on, and even Walsh losing his whip in the closing stages, Big Buck’s proved that behind those personal oddities lies the heart of a true champion as he beat off Grands Crus in a memorable struggle for the Stayers’ crown.
In the process he joins Inglis Drever as a triple winner of the race and becomes the only horse to pull off the hat-trick three years running. And the bad news for his rivals is that he will be back for a fourth year in 2012 with everyone in the Nicholls team more than willing to indulge any idiosyncrasy he cares to develop along the way.
“He’s a dire box walker but when my head man, Clifford (Baker), went to feed him at 7.0 this morning he was running around his box!” Nicholls joked afterwards. “He’s like a big kid. But he’s got so much ability too. I’d very much doubt he will ever jump a fence again now. It would be cruel to ask him.”
Unbeaten in 11 starts over hurdles since being switched from chasing, Big Buck’s has developed into possibly the best three-mile hurdler seen in modern times. Walsh yesterday rated his first Cheltenham victory as possibly the strongest World Hurdle the horse has run in but the quirkiness in Big Buck’s that was obvious in 2009 might just have got him beaten yesterday.
Not surprisingly, Tom Scudamore on Grands Crus, nor Paul Townend or David Casey on the Willie Mullins pair, Mourad and Fiveforthree, were prepared to facilitate the odds-on favourite with a lead.
Combined with a slow early gallop, it meant that Big Buck’s was prominent for much longer than normal.
“He has matured a lot mentally and is actually a lot easier ride now,” Walsh explained. “The other lads are smart riders and they were never going to be in front of me. But I was happy enough through the race. Horses can see much better behind them than jockeys can and he could see them coming and started to race.”
For a few strides before the last flight, though, Grands Crus loomed alongside as if ready to do the unthinkable and change the established order. Walsh dropped his whip and Big Buck’s had every excuse to display a foible or two.
“Losing the whip was a schoolboy error and shouldn’t be happening in a Grade One but Big Buck’s is so good. He’s just a great racehorse,” Walsh explained. “They say every genius is a little weird and he’s one of those.”
The Grands Crus team seemed to buy into that too and jockey Tom Scudamore said: “The best compliment we will get is that Big Buck’s will go home tonight and know he’s had a hard race. We turned up in tip-top condition, it just wasn’t to be.”
Willie Mullins was happy with both his horses and with Big Buck’s set to run at Liverpool, yesterday’s third Mourad will head to Punchestown.
“Mourad’s only six and that’s young for a stayer. He’ll get stronger and come back next year,” said the Irish trainer.
Nicholls, however, is already planning a fourth attempt on the Stayers’ crown and was quick to remind people that his hurdling superstar is still only eight years old. And Walsh is already looking forward to 2012.
“I was lucky enough to get away with it today. He’s a wonderful horse and he’s got me out of trouble. In a hurdle race he’s just as unbeatable as they come – he’s like (American great) Cigar on the Flat,” Ireland’s champion jockey said.
“He’s just different. He has so much class, you’re riding a Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup horse in a stayers hurdle.”
All of which means it will feel really weird if Big Buck’s ever actually does get beaten.
1st BIG BUCK'S 10/11 Fav
2nd Grands Crus 7/2
3rd Mourad 8/1
4th Cross Kennon 50/1
