At one point on Saturday it looked as if Big Buck’s and jockey Ruby Walsh were in trouble, but they managed to come through and win the race. Even so, punters expressed concern afterwards with regards to the nine-year-old’s health.

Quashing these concerns though, Nicholls said: “He’s done well winning 15 on the trot, and they’ve all been decent races. He was his normal self on Saturday – he looked beaten for a second and then wins easily. That’s just him.”

“He’s come out of the race very well, he cantered (on Tuesday) and now we’ll just tick him over and get him right for the Festival.”

“He ran a great race and Harry (Derham) had a great ride off him as well. He’d been ill since he ran at Cheltenham over Christmas, but he’ll go for the Ryanair Chase now.”

“He’s run well in it for the past two years, but he just falls a little short of Grade One level. He always runs a solid race and he’s better off in the Ryanair than in a handicap.”

There certainly seems no doubt that Nicholls will have Big Buck’s in perfect shape for Cheltenham and as many have stated, it is going to take an extraordinary performance to stop him.

Elsewhere in horse racing news related to Cheltenham, Big Zeb trainer Colm Murhpy has revealed that the Queen Mother Champion Chase contender is in excellent shape a few weeks before the Festival.

He said: “Preparations are going very well. Ideally we would need better ground but we are going to stick to the same plan as last year.”

“We will run on Sunday and then on to Cheltenham and finally back to the Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival, all going well.”

Big Zeb is now an 11-year-old but he can’t count so we are all right on that front!”

Preparations are certainly getting more and more interesting for the Cheltenham Festival, with many leading contenders only taking to the field once more before the March event

Ahead of the Cheltenham Festival in a couple of month’s time, trainer Nicky Henderson has already accepted defeat to Big Bucks in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

The famous horse has won this race for three successive years and despite Henderson being confident of having a successful four days at Cheltenham, winning the World Hurdle could be a step too far.

Referring to this very subject, he said: “I can’t see how he is going to win the Champion Hurdle. It is well worth Oscar Whisky taking on Big Buck’s as there is a lot of prize money on offer and second in the World Hurdle would be better than third or fourth in a Champion Hurdle.”

“A lot of people say he won’t stay three miles. I would be surprised if he didn’t.”

There are of course other contenders for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in March, including Robin Dickin’s Restless Harry.

Speaking about the eight-year-old’s preparations for Cheltenham, Dickin’s said: “The World Hurdle is on the radar for Restless Harry and we will make a decision whether to keep him over hurdles or return to chasing in due course.”

“He will probably be entered in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham and he could go for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on the same card. If he didn’t run there, I might look at the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock instead.”

“He got a little bit chopped coming round the top turn in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle and I think that he has improved slightly since then.”

Whether this is enough to compete with Big Bucks though remains to be seen and there is no doubt that the reigning Champion is the overwhelming favourite to take the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old wasn’t expected to feature in the prestigious race let alone be placed as the fourth favourite, instead featuring heavily in the betting for the RSA Chase also held during the Cheltenham festival.

Bobs Worth rose to prominence after winning one of his two starts over fences this season but was a surprise inclusion in the 34 entries for the race, with Henderson’s Oscar Whiskey installed as second favourite and Big Buck 8/3 favourite to win the prestigious race.

Thousand Stars is the only other horse placed ahead of Bobs Worth, with bookies placing him at 10/1 for the three mile race, while Overturn joins Henderson’s charge at 12/1.

Restless Harry, who finished ninth in last year’s race is on course to make a greater impact this time round after his excellent performance when comprehensively winning a Grade 2 Hurdle at Wetherby in October.

His trainer Robin Dickin said: “The Ladbrokes World Hurdle is on the radar for Restless Harry and we will make a decision whether to keep him over hurdles or return to chasing in due course.

“He will probably be entered in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham and he could go for the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on the same card. If he didn’t run there, I might look at the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock instead.

“He never runs a bad race and his Wetherby run at the start of the season was astonishing. I am not quite sure what that was about so I am not sure how to recreate it – I would have thought that the run would have brought him on.”

As ever, there is plenty to discuss at this time of year with less than two months to go until the 2012 Cheltenham Festival gets underway.

The Nicky Henderson trained horse has been in fantastic form in the year since the last Festival at Cheltenham, but will step up to three miles for the first time in March, so there is an element of uncertainty.

This is providing he comes through the Welsh Champion Hurdle without any problems of course.

Referring to the preparations for the World Hurdle, Irish jockey Geraghty said: “The doctor’s orders before were not to give him a hard race (at Cheltenham), so he didn’t get one.”

“It was perfect. He is a very versatile hurdler because he’d win an ordinary Champion Hurdle. He is top-class at two and a half, as he showed when winning at Aintree, and has the potential to stay three miles, which will bring in the World Hurdle.”

“He would have a realistic chance of the three-mile crown in March but anyone would have to have the greatest respect for Big Buck’s, but you can’t be afraid to take him on.”

“I’d hope that their relative prices wouldn’t truly reflect their real chance – but I’m biased. I’d like to think we would give the champ a rattle.”

Elsewhere in horse racing news related to Cheltenham, Noble Prince will run in the Hennessy Gold Cup in February as trainer Paul Nolan assesses the correct preparation for the two-mile-five-furlong Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

He said: “He’ll be entered in the Normans Grove Chase in Fairyhouse, and he could also be entered in the Hennessy. The Normans Grove is over two miles and a furlong and the Hennessy is obviously three miles, so those are the options.”

“If the ground at Leopardstown came up nice like it was at Christmas then the Hennessy could be a possibility. The only worry with that is that it could come too close to Cheltenham, so we’ll see.”

Nolan is just one of many trainers looking to get the preparation for the Cheltenham Festival spot on as the countdown to the famous festival continues.

David Pipe’s grey has proved a massive market mover in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle betting market following his ten-length demolition of a useful field in the Cleeve Hurdle.

Grands Crus is now just 3/1 in the Cheltenham Festival odds, although Big Buck’s remains the heavy 4/6 favourite to retain his unbeaten record over hurdles and win for the 11th time.

After a restrained start in the Grade Two contest, Tom Scudamore gradually began to pick off his rivals and when sent to take over at the front with two flights remaining, he just breezed clear.

And with a strong cruising speed, no trouble with the three-mile trip and seemingly capable of performing on all types of ground, there is every reason to expect him to run Big Buck’s close.

Trainer Pipe is one person optimistic of his chances as he said: “I wouldn’t swap our fellow for anything else – even Big Buck’s.”

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Meanwhile, punters would be wise not to rule out Mourad for Ladbrokes World Hurdle glory following his recent routine victory in Ireland at Gowran Park.

Mourad is the third favourite in the betting at 10/1 and has still only finished outside of the first three places once in nine hurdles races.

One thing that is certain is that all of a sudden the Ladbrokes World Hurdle is no longer a one-horse race and although still a clear favourite, Big Buck’s cannot be seen as the Cheltenham banker that he perhaps was two weeks ago

The Paul Nicholls-trained star Big Bucks (4/7 with Ladbrokes) is odds-on to land back-to-back victories after showing he is as good as ever with wins in the Long Distance Hurdle and Long Walk Hurdle this winter.

Some have argued that the biggest danger to Big Buck’s in the World Hurdle is Ruby Walsh getting injured. Together they are quite simply brilliant. They have won eight of nine races as a partnership and all six over hurdles. Andy Stewart’s seven-year-old has been a revelation since reverting to hurdles and there’s no doubt that he’s a complicated ride. Ruby has mastered the stalking approach with him and you had to feel for Barry Geraghty and Punchestowns last season when they were outgunned twice up the Cheltenham hill.

Big Buck’s runs in snatchesand although many in-running punters will be aware of this, it wouldn’t be a surprise to seehis price go odds-against if Ruby is pushing along at the top of the hill. That normally acts as the horse’s wake-up call and he will undoubtedly trade very short up the home straight. He hasome decent animals to contend with this year, though, so it may also be worth looking to get out at a really short price.

Tidal Bay (7/1 with Stan James), the 2008 Arkle hero, made a triumphant return to the smaller obstacles in the Cleeve Hurdle and could be the successor to Inglis Drever for the Graham Wylie/Howard Johnson team.

The former Arkle winner had been struggling over fences before bouncing back to form in theCleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham – a race which has been won by the subsequent World Hurdlewinner for the past two years. He was held upthat day and was actually looking in trouble turning in, but found plenty for pressure, albeit receiving a 4lb pull in the weights from runner-up Time For Rupert. The way he travels suggests he will be another who will trade big in-running, so look to get with Howard Johnson’s runner as soon as he looks in trouble.

Other hopefuls include Alan King’s Karabak (8/1 with 888Sport) and Sentry Duty (14/1 with Ladbrokes) from the Nicky Henderson stable.

Karabak is a very decent yardstick and there is absolutely no disgrace in finishingsecond to Zaynar and Big Buck’s in his two outings this season, especially with the stable under a cloud at those times.

He probably wasn’t given the best of rides in the Ballymore last year and AP McCoy will surely keep him up slightly closer with the pace this time. With Big Buck’s normally taking a while to warm up to his task, a la Inglis Drever, there’s every chance that the strong travelling Karabak will trade artificially short and it would be surprising if he managed to hold off Paul Nicholls’ star hurdler.

Pick of eight Irish possibles is the Mouse Morris-trained War Of Attrition (33/1) with Stan James), winner of the Gold Cup in 2006.

World Hurdle Tip

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Big Buck’s is too short a price to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle

The seven-year-old is odds-on at (4/7) to defend his crown at Cheltenham next month after winning all his six races since reverting to hurdling last January, but Stewart believes victory is not a foregone conclusion.

“I was very impressed with Tidal Bay’s (8/1) run (in the Cleeve Hurdle) and Karabak (6/1) as well as former Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition (40/1),” he told At The Races. On paper Big Buck’s looks the one to be on, but the prices are ridiculous – he’s 4-7. But it would be disappointing if he didn’t continue to be top of the tree in the staying hurdle division.”

Stewart is also expecting a big run at the Festival from Poquelin in the Ryanair Chase.

“He has an entry, as has Gwanako, and he’ll go straight for the Ryanair,” Stewart went on.

He has taken to jumping this season whereas last year he fluffed his lines when favourite for the Grand Annual.

So far this season he has only been beaten once and that was on very soft ground in the Paddy Power. If it’s fast ground and if he jumps well, it will be a good horse that beats him.”

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old is unbeaten in all six of his starts over hurdles in Britain, and he warmed up for this year’s Festival with a comfortable victory in the re-arranged Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury on December 29.

Karabak stayed on to take second in that race and the seven-year-old may bid for an elusive first bigrace victory, having also been the runner-up to Mikael D’Haguenet at last year’s Festival and chased home Zaynar in the Grade Two Ascot Hurdle in November. Trainer Alan King may also be represented by the 2008 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle winner Katchit, who was fourth behind Zaynar at Ascot prior to taking the runner-up spot behind Sentry Duty in the Freedom Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

Last year’s runner-up and current RSA Chase ante-post favourite Punchestowns has been given an entry by trainer Nicky Henderson. The seven-year-old has made an impressive start to his chasing career, scoring in a Newbury Grade Two novice chase in November. Diamond Harry is also being aimed at the Festival’s top novice chases by trainer Nick Williams after taking third behind Mikael D’Haguenet and Karabak at Cheltenham last year and easily winning a Listed handicap hurdle under top weight at Haydock in November.

Mighty Man, who has been placed in two Ladbrokes World Hurdles and landed the 2006 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, also has a choice of targets at this year’s Festival. Trainer Henry Daly is considering his options after the 10-year-old scored comfortably on his chase debut at Hereford in December.

Lie Forrit has risen through the handicap ranks this season, winning the Listed Jardine Thompson Lloyd Handicap Hurdle at The Open and following up with a comfortable success in a Pertemps qualifier at Newbury. His handler Willie Amos is hoping that his stable star can make a successful step up to Grade Two company in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day, Saturday, January 30.

The David Pipe-trained Mr Thriller got the better of leading Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle contender Starluck in a conditions hurdle at Haydock in November, but could only take third behind Sentry Duty at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, and he could be joined at The Festival by stablemate Lough Derg, whose finest hour came with victory in the 2007 Long Walk Hurdle.

A trio of entries from the stable of Nigel Twiston-Davies include Grade One scorer Pettifour, who scored in a novice chase at The Open in November, as well as Festival winners Ballyfitz, successful in the 2008 Pertemps Final, and Kayf Aramis, who landed the same race last year for former handler Venetia Williams.

Philip Hobbs has also entered a pair of horses with plenty of Festival experience. Fair Along has been runner-up in both the JCB Triumph Hurdle and the Irish Independent Newspaper Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase, while Massini’s Maguire landed what is now the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle in 2007 and was third in last year’s RSA Chase.

The Howard Johnson-trained Tidal Bay, who runs in the colours of three-time Ladbrokes World Hurdle victor Inglis Drever, may make his fourth consecutive appearance at The Festival. After going down by a neck to Massini’s Maguire in 2007, the nine-year-old was a decisive winner of the Irish Independent Newspaper Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase in 2008 and took fourth in the Ryanair Chase last season.

Cape Tribulation was fifth for Malcolm Jefferson in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and chased home Zaynar in the Grade Two Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle at the Boylesports International at Cheltenham in December, while Bouggler, from the stable of Emma Lavelle, scored in a Grade Two Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April and was second to the Sheena West-trained Golan Way in a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

A potential Irish challenge of 12 includes the Eamon O’Connell-trained Powerstation, who has made the frame on five of his six previous visits to Cheltenham including when third in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Ninetieth Minute may also return to Prestbury Park, having triumphed in the Coral Cup for trainer Tom Taaffe last season.

Edward O’Grady has entered Jumbo Rio, successful in the Grade One Punchestown Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, and Listed scorer Torphichen, while Mouse Morris may be represented by the 2006 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition, who was fourth in the Grade Two Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle – his first start over the smaller obstacles since chasing home Brave Inca in the 2004 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The 2008 Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Cousin Vinny and Mourad, third in last year’s JCB Triumph Hurdle, have both been given entries by Willie Mullins, while his younger brother Thomas could run Oscar Dan Dan, who landed the Grade One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December.

Other notable entries include Ebadiyan, from the Co Moynahan stable of Oliver Brady, and the Noel Meade-trained Muirhead, who fought out a thrilling finish to a Listed Hurdle at Naas on Tuesday.

Fiulin, who also holds an entry in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, was a Listed winner on the Flat for Marco Botti in 2009. Now in the care of Evan Williams after selling for 280,000 guineas at Tattersalls in October, he has not yet run over hurdles.

LADBROKES WORLD HURDLE PAST RESULTS

2009

• WINNER-BIG BUCK’S 6-11-10 Owner-The Stewart Family; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-6/1

• 2ND-Punchestowns 6-11-10 Owner-Judy Wilson; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-100/30

• 3RD-Powerstation 9-11-10 Owner-Fat Frog Syndicate; Trainer-Eamon O’Connell IRE; Jockey-Andrew McNamara; SP-25/1

14 ran, Time 5m 57.00s; Dist 1.75, 17 10/11 Fav Kasbah Bliss (4th)

2008

• WINNER-INGLIS DREVER 9-11-10 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Howard Johnson; Jockey-Denis O’Regan; SP-11/8 Fav

• 2ND-Kasbah Bliss 6-11-10 Owner-Henri De Pracomtal; Trainer-Francois Doumen FR; Jockey-Christophe Pieux; SP-9/1

• 3RD-Kazal 7-11-10 Owner- Joseph Comerford; Trainer-Eoin Griffin IRE; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-12/1

17 ran, Time-5m 52.90s; Dist-1, 7

2007

• WINNER-INGLIS DREVER 8-11-10 Owner-Andrea & Graham Wylie; Trainer-Howard Johnson; Jockey-Paddy Brennan; SP-5/1

• 2ND-Mighty Man 7-11-10 Owner-Joss Hanbury; Trainer-Henry Daly; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-100/30

• 3RD-Blazing Bailey 5-11-10 Owner-Three Line Whip; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey-Robert Thornton; SP-8/1

14 ran, Time-5m 46.50s; Dist-0.75, 4 2/1 Fav Black Jack Ketchum (Fell)

2006

• WINNER MY WAY DE SOLZEN 6-11-10 Owner-B Winfield, A Longman, J Wright & C Fenton; Trainer-Alan King; Jockey- Robert Thornton; SP-8/1

• 2ND-Golden Cross 7-11-10 Owner-P Johnson; Trainer-Michael Halford IRE; Jockey-Johnny Murtagh; SP-5/1

• 3RD-Mighty Man 6-11-10 Owner-Joss Hanbury; Trainer-Henry Daly; Jockey-Richard Johnson; SP-4/1 Fav

20 ran, Time-5m 38.40s; Dist-hd, 4

Defending champion Big Buck’s heads 35 entries for the £260,000 Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle, which takes place on day three of The Festival, Thursday, March 18.

Paul Nicholls’ charge defeated the Nicky Henderson-trained Punchestowns to win the 2009 renewal of the three-mile contest and has been in great form this season, winning the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle from Lough Derg and the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle from Karabak, both at Newbury.

Nick Williams has entered the much-vaunted Diamond Harry, who was third in the Long Walk Hurdle on December 29, while the progressive Willie Amos-trained Lie Forrit also has an entry after impressing with handicap victories at Cheltenham and Newbury this season.

The Henry Daly-trained Mighty Man was runner-up to the great Inglis Drever in the 2007 Ladbrokes World Hurdle and filled that same berth behind Big Buck’s in the Grade One John Smith’s Liverpol Hurdle at Aintree last term, before winning a novice chase at Hereford in December. A 12-strong Irish entry features the Edward O’Grady-trained Torphichen and the same trainer’s Grade One victor Jumbo Rio, as well as the Mouse Morris-trained 2006 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition.

Cape Tribulation has been entered by Malcolm Jefferson and the trainer is considering his options for the talented permormer, who has also holds an entry in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle two days earlier. The six-year-old was fifth over the course and distance behind Weapon’s Amnesty in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival, but has competed admirably over shorter trips this term.

After finishing second to Zaynar in the Grade Two Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle over two and a half miles at Cheltenham in December, Cape Tribulation showed up for a long way before coming home fourth behind Go Native in the two-mile Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Jefferson revealed today: “He is in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle as well as the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, so we will run him in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock on Saturday, all being well, and then consider our options after that. “I’m pleased with his progress, we’re just going to look at changing one or two things. We want to do something a little bit different with him in his races.”

Jefferson’s charge is a half-brother to smart Pattern race performers on the Flat, Germano and Moon Soitaire, as well as triple Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Potentate. That breeding and the gelding’s recent performances have caused the Malton trainer to consider Cape Tribulation’s options more closely.

He commented: “In his breeding, on the dam’s line, there have been some good Flat horses that have been mile and a quarter horses, and Martin Pipe had a very good half-brother, Potentate, who was definitely best over two miles. “Cape Tribulation doesn’t lack speed, although we know he has stamina as well. It crossed my mind, as I sat recently and watched last year’s races at Cheltenham and Liverpool, that we were sitting pretty handy with him over a trip, so maybe it would be better dropping him in a bit. I would like to see how it would work, so we could try something like that at Haydock and see what speed we have.

“He’s such a good jumper. At Cheltenham in December, he was unfortunate against Zaynar because Golan Way unseated early on and our lad jumped himself to the front – we didn’t really learn anything. Then at Kempton he ran a hell of a race but we were always chasing the one making the running. We acted a bit as pacemaker for the others and maybe he just did a bit too much then and didn’t find. “At the minute he’s a bit in-between regarding his trip but we will look at both the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. Haydock will tell us more.”

Other notable entries include 2008 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle winner Katchit and the same season’s Grade One Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Cousin Vinny, as well as the high-class but unpredictable Tidal Bay from the Howard Johnson yard, victorious in the Grade One Irish Independent Arkle two years ago.

Ladbrokes betting: 4/7 Big Buck’s, 7/1 Karabak, 12/1 Diamond Harry, Sentry Duty, 16/1 Lie Forrit, 25/1 Mr Thriller, Time For Rupert,

33/1 Fair Along, Katchit, Mourad, Oscar Dan Dan, Powerstation, 40/1 Cousin Vinny, Jumbo Rio, Mighty Man, Tidal Bay, Torphichen,

50/1 Bouggler, Cape Tribulation, Golan Way, Muirhead, Ninetieth Minute, 66/1 Lough Derg, 100/1 Ballyfitz, Ebadiyan, Gone To Lunch,

Kayf Aramis, Massini’s Maguire, Pettifour, War Of Attrition