Cheltenham Festival - World Hurdle Preview 2012

Big Bucks looks almost certain to go off as the shortest priced SP favorite at the 2012 Cheltenham Festival as he bids to rule supreme in the World Hurdle for the fourth year in a row.

Should the nine-year-old triumph again, it will be his sixteenth consecutive course win and with every race that goes by, the chances of him being beaten are becoming slimmer and slimmer.

At around 4/9, Bucks is likely to appeal only to the serious punter and will be seen as the ideal Festival banker at the heart of a magical week of national hunt action.

Paul Nicholls has stuck to his guns by keeping Bucks in the three mile event after many people spoke of their desire to see the former chaser step down to two miles for a crack at the Champion Hurdle.

In truth, that would have been a much more exciting spectacle and proposition for the racing world however the Ditcheat trainer has to be admired in many ways for always keeping focus on his horse’s best interests and avoiding the chance of ruining Bucks’ flawless reputation.

Nicholls once remarked that Big Bucks can only beat himself and that he wouldn’t be surprised to witness his charge pull himself up before the end of his racing career.

But after a treble of bloodless Grade One wins this campaign, misbehaviour of that kind seems highly unlikely and it would be foolish to suggest that Big Bucks is anywhere near hitting a decline.

With the champion being impossible to oppose, punters will have to seek each way value further down the line-up or back Oscar Whisky to win in the ‘betting without Big Bucks’ market.

Nicky Henderson’s classy charge is 7/4 to oblige and can comfortably se of the rest of the competition even if not quite being able to live with his main rival.

Jockey Barry Geraghty forecasted that Oscar Whisky could win a standard Champion Hurdle and his versatility should definitely come into play over a testing three miles at Cheltenham – a course which the horse clearly relishes after recording strong efforts there in the past.

Of the rest, David Pipe’s Dynaste should be able to make the frame.

The French-bred hasn’t finished too far behind Big Bucks in two races this campaign can use his powerful cruising speed to be competitive for much of the way.

Pipe is obviously renowned for being a handicap trainer – and whilst Dynaste is slightly above top handicapping level, he is at the same time a little short of being top drawer.

Voler La Vedette and Mikael D’Haguenet carry Ireland’s hopes of claiming a massive scalp however place money again appears the best which they can hope for.

Nevertheless, the former, trained by Willie Mullins, has a Grade One success under her belt and could outrun her price if being able to stay the trip.

50/1 shot Five Dream has placed twice behind Big Bucks at Newbury and Ascot however the Festival should be a step too far for Nicholls’ second string and each way thieves must not get carried away.

This is all about Big Bucks - and a one-two forecast with Oscar Whisky, a potential future champion, is more or less inevitable.

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03/03/2012     © Frixo 2024