Celestial Halo goes chasing tomorrow Owner Andy Stewart is looking forward to Celestial Halo making his debut over fences on Tuesday in Exeter's Best mate Beginners' Chase. Classy enough to finish second to Punjabi in the 2009 renewal of the Champion Hurdle, the six-year-old was fourth to Binocular 12 months later. He was last seen falling at the second-last flight in the Aintree Hurdle, an incident which sidelined Ruby Walsh with a fractured arm for the remainder of the season, but Paul Nicholls' stable jockey has been down at Ditcheat popping him over some fences in preparation. Stewart is also keen to see if Celestial Halo will have the pace over fences for two miles. "We're really looking forward to it and it's a race we won last year with Tataniano," said Stewart. "Very sadly I can't actually be there but he has schooled very well at home, Ruby has been down to sit on him a couple of times. "Obviously we are going to find out whether two miles is his trip, he might want two-and-a-half but definitely not three. "This has always been an interesting race, sponsored by my mate Jim Lewis, so let's see if we can do it. "We know that two miles is too sharp for him over hurdles and he is too high up in the handicap to go that route. "If I didn't have Big Buck's he'd be going for the World Hurdle, but we know he can't beat Big Buck's so on that basis we may as well give it a go. "Last year when we were still over hurdles we schooled him over fences and he took to it. "In my opinion he would have won at Liverpool on the ill-fated day poor Ruby fell off before the Grand National. "There is always the fear that they might not take to fences but he has not given us any indication at home that he won't, he's just got to do it on a racecourse proper now." Celestial Halo faces four rivals, Diamond Brook, Jocheski, The Brimmer and Rougham Champion staying hurdler Big Buck's will follow an identical path to last season. Stewart has outlined four races with trainer Paul Nicholls for the seven-year-old, who is unbeaten since switching to timber since the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2008. After starting his season in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on November 27, he will head to Ascot for the Long Walk Hurdle (December 18). He will then have a break before bidding for a third Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham and heading to Aintree in an attempt for a third Liverpool Hurdle. "He's absolutely fine. He'll run at the Hennessy meeting and then hopefully he'll go to Ascot, which was rained off last year but rearranged at Newbury," said Stewart. "After that it will be the World Hurdle and then he'll go back to Liverpool. "If all goes well until then we will have a sit down and ponder what happens next. "We kept him down to the four races last season and that is what we'll do again. "There was the option of going to Punchestown but we decided against it."
