Horse Racing: Big Buck’s heading for Festival, says Nicholls
The famed trainer Paul Nicholls revealed today that his racehorse, Big Buck’s will be contending the Cheltenham Festival. It has also been reported that the champion colt will not be taking part in the upcoming Betfair Cleeve Hurdle, meanwhile he will be
on the field for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle event.
This news was revealed by the trainer from the Betfair blog. The reason that Nicholls has given for this decision is that he wants Big Buck’s to take ample rest before he goes on to claim his third victory in the Grade I Staying Hurdle Championship. The
colt has the credentials of winning the World Hurdle twice, meanwhile he is being sent out as a 4-7 shot for this edition of the event.
This decision was taken by Nicholls in the last racing season as well. The trainer thought it was best for Big Buck’s to lay off so that he was in his perfect form for last year’s Long Walk Hurdle that also lead him to claim the meeting at Cheltenham that
took place in March and the one at Aintree in April.
Nicholls also added that it was his initial plan to make Bug Buck’s a part of the Cleeve Hurdle. Talking to the correspondents, the trainer was reported as saying, “But he will be given a break instead and his campaign will now mirror last season’s, with
the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals his next targets.”
The 2009 edition of the Cleeve Hurdle was also won by Big Buck’s. His ten-race unbeaten streak includes five Grade I victories.
On the other hand, the hurdle event that took place at Leicester today was taken by the colt Credit Swap. The colt is also the winner of the Totesport.com Cambridgeshire that took place at Newmarket. This was his last career start with the trainer Michael
Wigham. Meanwhile this particular event at Leicester was won by the colt under the care of the trainer Venetia Williams. It has also been reported that the champion was sold privately.
The racehorse indeed gave an impressive performance in this event as he was successful in holding off the dominating colt Alarazi. In a post race interview, his rider was reported as saying, “I’m over the moon with him. He settled quite well and jumped brilliantly
before quickening up. He stayed well enough too – you’d have to [stay well] in that [ground].”
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