Buck's on the right path Owner Andy Stewart is confident Big Buck's will not be inconvenienced by racing right-handed for the first time in Britain in tomorrow's Lough Derg Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. The eight-year-old has racked up a remarkable 13 consecutive victories over timber, taking in three World Hurdle titles at Cheltenham along the way. The Paul Nicholls-trained stayer has actually landed this Grade One prize for the last two years when it has been run at Newbury, rather than Ascot, due to the weather. "We're nervously looking forward to it," said Stewart. "The one question mark about tomorrow, of course, which has been well documented, is that he is going right-handed for the first time since arriving from France. "We'll see whether that proves to be a problem, but hopefully he'll be OK. "The ground is going to be very testing and that will suit him well." The betting suggests the main threat to Big Buck's is the David Pipe-trained Dynaste, a hugely impressive winner of the valuable 'Fixed Brush' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock last month. The Pipe team saddled the smart Grands Crus to win that same prize last season but he came up short against Big Buck's at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring. Stewart said: "I know last season David and the team were trying to think of the best way to ride Grands Crus to beat Big Buck's and I'm sure they'll be doing the same again. "I'm sure they are not going to want to go off fast and set it up for Big Buck's, but then it will not be easy to beat him from off the pace either." Just as it has been for the past two seasons, Big Buck's will make his final racecourse appearance this weekend before heading back to the Festival in March. "Win, lose or draw on Saturday, he won't be running again before Cheltenham," Stewart continued. "We'll give him a nice break and then build him back up so he's at peak fitness for the World Hurdle again. "If all goes well there I'd imagine he'll then go to Aintree and that will be his four runs for the season. "We wouldn't think about Punchestown as he doesn't really like to travel - he gets nervous going down the road to Wincanton sometimes!"
