Big Bucks in Ladbrokes World Hurdle

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