Buck’s the saviour for punters

Festival day three review

PUNTERS feeling a sense of trepidation following the eclipse of hot-pots Dunguib and Master Minded on the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival were understandably dubious about steaming into Big Buck’s for Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

But the 5-6 favourite for the feature race on day three of the meeting, despite being easy to back as the bookies chased even more punters’ money, delivered in smooth style under the ultra-cool Ruby Walsh.

Always travelling supremely well, Big Buck’s cruised on to the heels of the leaders at the top of the hill before being produced to pick off Time For Rupert on the run-in.

Big Buck’s was following up his victory in the race of 12 months ago and has yet to taste defeat over hurdles in this country.

And there is no doubt that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Baracouda and Inglis Drever, the two other horses who have dominated this race in the new millennium.

Said Walsh: “He’s a special horse, isn’t he? He’s absolutely bolted in.

“He’s a horse you wouldn’t want to be in front on too long, but he’s got a terrific engine and he jumped better than he’s ever done.”


TONY McCoy showed his iron-man qualities once again when, after suffering a crunching fall from Jered in the opening Jewson Novices’ Chase, he dusted himself down and gave Albertas Run an inspired ride to land the Grade One Ryanair Chase.

Always in the front two, Albertas Run jumped flawlessly and, as a previous RSA Chase winner, his stamina kicked in from the home turn as he fended off the challenge of favourite Poquelin.

Of his recovery from the Jered fall and his winning ride aboard Albertas Run, McCoy said: “I must admit when I was on the ground the pain was testing me to the limit.

“I had a nice ride on Albertas Run who won the RSA Chase a couple of years. Jonjo (O’Neill, trainer) and I asked owner Trevor Hemmings if we could run in the Ryanair rather than the Gold Cup because we thought we had a good chance.”


PHILIP Hobbs’ Copper Bleu was a decisive winner of the opening Jewson Novices’ Chase under Richard Johnson.

There is clearly much more to come from this horse, about whom Hobbs said: “This is only his fourth run over fences.

“There is a new 2m 5f handicap chase at Punchestown and he could go for that.”


HADDEN Frost, son of Grand National-winning jockey Jimmy, produced a well-judged ride to win the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle final aboard Buena Vista, who was breaking his Festival duck at the sixth attempt.

And trainer David Pipe completed a double when Great Endeavour landed the Byrne Group Plate Chase under another claimer, Danny Cook.

DONALD McCain, whose Peddlers Cross won on day two, registered a double for the meeting and fourth Festival success when Ballabriggs won the Kim Muir Challenge Chase.


TOP TIP: Chronicle racing correspondent Keith McHugh recommended yesterday’s Ryanair winner Albertas Run at 25-1 in his ‘Up The Ante’ column on February 25 and reconfirmed it as his best longshot on Wednesday. Did you back it?