Dan Dan a Long Walk entry

Oscar Dan Dan could face the awesome presence of Big Buck’s in the £100,000 Grade One BGC Long Walk Hurdle (2.05pm) at Ascot on December 18, the pair being among 18 entries for the prestigious three-mile contest.

The Tom Mullins-trained Oscar Dan Dan landed the Grade One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last December and is in fine form at present, having won his only start of the campaign so far, the Grade Two Lismullen Hurdle over two and a half miles at Navan on November 7.

Mullins revealed today: “There is not a lot for him here in Ireland and we thought we would keep our options open by popping him in there and taking a look at the race. It’s definitely on the cards and the ground at Ascot is always fairly nice before Christmas.

“We were very pleased with his win in the Lismullen Hurdle and we think if everything goes well he might have his best year yet.”

The eight-year-old’s biggest victories have come over two and a half miles but Mullins has no fear regarding Oscar Dan Dan’s ability to excel at three miles.

He continued: “Three miles is not a problem for him at all and there might even be a bit of improvement in him over the trip. He ran well over the distance last spring at Punchestown but he was never quite right after he ran at Gowran in the January. It was very bad ground there and he didn’t come back quite as right as he was before Christmas.”

Big Buck’s has made the staying hurdler division his own over the past two years. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old is unbeaten in nine starts over the smaller obstacles since unseating Sam Thomas in the 2008 Hennessy Gold Cup, including when posting a ready success over Karabak in last year’s Long Walk Hurdle, which was run at Newbury due to snow at Ascot.

His biggest threat in this year’s race could come from the 2008 winner Punchestowns, who has been given a surprise entry by Nicky Henderson following an impressive first season over fences last term, culminating with victory in a Grade One novices’ chase at Sandown in February.

Other notable contenders include the 2009 Champion Hurdle runner-up Celestial Halo, who represents the same owner/trainer combination of the Stewart family and Paul Nicholls as Big Buck’s.

The progressive Grands Crus may step up in class for David Pipe after a pair of convincing wins in handicap company at Cheltenham and Haydock, while the Robin Dickin-trained Restless Harry could return to Ascot having taken third on his seasonal return in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle on November 20.

Fair Along captured a Grade Two hurdle at Wetherby this season for Philip Hobbs, while Punchestowns’ stable companion, Duc de Regniere, found only Big Buck’s three lengths too strong in the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.

THE BGC LONG WALK HURDLE

Class 1, Grade 1, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.05pm, Ascot, Saturday, December 18, 2010. For 4yo . Three miles one furlong. Weights 11st 7lb, fillies and mares allowed 7lb. Entries closed November 30, entries revealed December 1 (18 entries), five-day confirmation stage December 13, final 48-hour declaration stage 10.00am, December 16. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, November 29.

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer

THE BGC LONG WALK HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR (1965-2009)

Race run as a handicap prior to 1971

Ascot, Saturday, December 18, 2010 (run at Newbury in 2009, Chepstow in 2005 and Windsor in 2004)

Year Winner Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP