Cheltenham Review: Favourite backers finally win Big thanks to Buck's

Daily Review / Simon Rowlands / 18 March 2010 / Leave a comment

Big Buck's - 2010 World Hurdle winner

Our man pays tribute to Big Buck's following an imperious second World Hurdle win

"Big Buck's "flat patch" that had been in evidence 12 months before and at times since did not show, and neither did any rival capable of making much of a race of it with the star staying hurdler. Seldom can a horse here have looked so deserving of his odds-on status from start to finish, though the doubters ensured that he almost went off at odds against: his Betfair SP was [1.96]."

The doubters, of which I was one, looked for chinks in the armour of Big Buck's before this year's Ladbrokes World Hurdle but in the event there were none. The "flat patch" that had been in evidence 12 months before and at times since did not show, and neither did any rival capable of making much of a race of it with the star staying hurdler. Seldom can a horse here have looked so deserving of his odds-on status from start to finish, though the doubters ensured that he almost went off at odds against: his Betfair SP was [1.96].

As it was, we were treated by Ruby Walsh to one of the cheekiest rides seen at this or any other Festival, with Big Buck's cruising up to the front-running Time For Rupert (with Walsh looking repeatedly through his legs at his other toiling rivals) then putting that one out of its misery when finally given the office half way up the run-in to win by three-and-a-quarter-lengths.

On paper, this might not quite have matched the horse's win in 2009 (Powerstation was third on both occasions, beaten four-and-a-half lengths more first time around) or the 2003 win of Baracouda, but as the old song goes "it ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it". Judged by that criterion, there has probably been no more impressive winner of this prestigious race in living memory.

Big Buck's joined a small band of horses to have won the race twice and now has a shot at matching the three wins achieved by Inglis Drever. Still only seven-years-old, it would take a brave person - or possibly a fool like me - to bet against him being in the winner's enclosure again next year. He is on offer at [2.3] on Betfair's ante-post market.

The Stewart-Nicholls-Walsh combination had suffered a reverse in the previous race when the favourite Poquelin could finish only second to a rejuvenated Albertas Run in the Ryanair Chase. The winner has long been talented - he won the RSA Chase here in 2008 and had found only Kauto Star too good for him in that year's King George Chase - but has not always been this willing.

He scored well enough (by four-and-a-half lengths) to think that an incident on the home bend involving Poquelin and the improving J'y Vole did not cost the latter the race, though it would have been nice to have been sure. There was just a nose between that pair at the line: the placings were not altered by a stewards' enquiry.

Albertas Run is in the Grand National at Aintree on April 10, but the fact that he is at [80.0] for that race on Betfair suggests he is an unlikely participant.

The win was a welcome tonic for ailing owner Trevor Hemmings, and so too was the victory of Ballabriggs in the closing Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir, though Mr Hemmings must have watched far less stressful finishes. Ballabriggs travelled like a dream, going odds on in running on Betfair fully four out when moving into second, was 10 lengths clear between the last two then started to tread water and held on by a rapidly diminishing half length under amateur Richard Harding.

Just how slowly Ballabriggs was travelling by the end can be inferred from the pedestrian closing sectional listed below: the horse was passed by Faasel in just a couple of more strides!

It proved to be a red-letter day for trainer David Pipe, who saddled Buena Vista to win the Pertemps Final Hurdle under Hadden Frost and Great Endeavour to win the Byrne Group Plate under Danny Cook, both conditional jockeys belying their inexperience with well-judged rides.

Buena Vista had done little since finishing second in the Pertemps 12 months before off the same mark but had blinkers on for the first time since and benefitted from a much more enterprising ride than on his penultimate start, making most and winning by five lengths from Prince Erik. Alfie Sherrin was another hot favourite to run poorly.

Great Endeavour had caught the eye the time before also, and he looked like coming home clear when cruising up to lead after two out. However, he possibly thought he had done enough from that point and held on by only a length-and-a-quarter from Sunnyhillboy, another well-backed favourite who came up a bit short.

The opening Jewson Chase provided Phillip Hobbs and Richard Johnson with their second wins of the meeting, Menorah having gone in for them on the first day. Copper Bleu won readily by three-and-a-half lengths from Othermix and showed his jockey's judgement of pace in a particularly good light. The early gallop was strong (the leaders got to three out quicker than did the leaders in the much classier Ryanair Chase) and Johnson held Copper Bleu some way off it before working his way through to lead with two to go.

Winner/Form Rating/(Sectional from 3 out chases, 2 out hurdles)
Copper Bleu 148 (61.7 sec)
Buena Vista 140 (55.5 sec)
Albertas Run 166 (59.7 sec)
Big Buck's 167 (55.2 sec)
Great Endeavour 143 (59.4 sec)
Ballabriggs 149 (65.7 sec)

And so we come to the final day of the Festival tomorrow and one of the most eagerly anticipated showdowns in the history of the sport. Whether you choose to take sides between stable-companions Kauto Star (going for his third Cheltenham Gold Cup win and [1.71] to back) and Denman (going for his second and [5.6] to back) or not, you really must move heaven and earth to watch this race while it happens.

Both horses are capable of extraordinary things when on song, and the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup could easily provide one of those precious "where were you when...?" moments.

Tags: Albertas Run, Alfie Sherrin, Ballabriggs, Big Buck's, Buena Vista, Byrne Group Plate, Copper Bleu, David Pipe, Denman, Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, Great Endeavour, J'y Vole, Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase, Kauto Star, Ladbrokes World Hurdle, Pertemps Final, Poquelin, Ryanair Chase, Trevor Hemmings