Big Buck's heads Long Walk entries The extraordinary Big Buck’s heads 13 entries for the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle, which takes place over three miles and a furlong at Ascot on Saturday, December 17, day two of the Christmas Meeting. Trained by Paul Nicholls for the Stewart Family, the eight-year-old has now won 13 races in succession including the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival three times as well as the past two renewals of the Long Walk Hurdle. If he were to register his 14th straight success over hurdles at Ascot on December 17, he would overtake Bula’s record set back in the 1970s as well as passing the £1-million mark in prize money. Among his possible opponents on December 17 are stable companions Celestial Halo, himself a Grade One winner and Five Dream, who took the runner-up spot behind Big Buck’s in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on November 26. Other contenders include the David Pipe-trained Dynaste who caught the eye when sauntering to an eight-length victory in the Grade Three Fixed Brush Handicap Hurdle at Haydock Park on November 19, Champion Hurdle third Oscar Whisky and Sparky May, who landed the Grade Two Warfield Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot in January.
