Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sports World

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It'll Takes Big Bucks To Win Big Bucks This Season Posted: 23 Nov 2011 08:37 AM PST Incredibly, jockey Ruby Walsh, has only been beaten once in twelve rides on champion staying hurdler, Big Bucks and that came almost four years ago in a Novice Chase at Newbury when he finished second behind Moon Over Miami. Since then, the Big Bucks/Walsh partnership has won every time they've teamed up, including the Grade 2 Mildmay Chase at Aintree back in April 2008. After that 'Mildmay' win, trainer, Paul Nicholls was still undecided as to whether or not Big Bucks would be a better chaser or staying hurdler. However, when he unseated Sam Thomas in the 2008 Hennessy Gold Cup, Nicholls did not hesitate, immediately drawing up a staying hurdle career for him and from that moment on he simply has not looked back, winning all of his last 13 starts. Those wins included a first World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, where as a 7/2 shout he comfortably held the odds on favourite Punchestowns for a first victory in the race in 2009 and followed up with a second and third World Hurdle and in doing so has seen off every major challenger that has been put in front of him and he is still only eight years old and arguable the biggest name on the jumps racing scene right now! Heavyweight punters will know that this is consistency of the highest order, which they have taken advantage of in a huge way for the last two seasons at least. Backing him with big money on short odds has proven to be highly lucrative which is why many punters in the horse racing industry have a smile on their faces when they say it takes "Big Bucks to win Big Bucks" much to the chagrin of the Bookmakers. They know only too well that the horse is a 'license to print money' and they will continue to back him. Big Bucks, although not seen out yet this season, will almost certainly claim a fourth World Hurdle at the Festival in March. Pundits in fact are already suggesting that this season's renewal might be his easiest to date, with no real challengers, such as Grands Crus emerging as yet or willing to take him on. His odds therefore of even money (on offer from Sportingbet) are odds that should be snapped up now, as come the day they might be around the 1/4 should he continue winning his warm up races for the Festival and no serious rival turns up. It is true that he could get himself injured but that is the nature of the 'gambling beast', punters should not be scared of the 'what might's' or 'what if's' happen, as it is not very often a horse comes along that is worth staking a big money bet on – but Big Bucks winning the 2012 World Hurdle for a fourth time is! Big Bucks should be seen for the first time this season in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday where he will be looking for a 14th straight victory. If he does then back him!!!

Time to take stock after Rupert's Haydock eclipse Posted: 23 Nov 2011 07:44 AM PST Paul Webber went into the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday full of hope that despite the track likely to prove far from ideal for his smart sort Time For Rupert, the second-season chaser would give a very good account of himself against Long Run, Kauto Star, and the rest. In the event he trailed home last of the five finishers leaving connections with food for thought as they plan their next move, writes Elliot Slater. Webber had a nagging doubt at the back of his mind that the Haydock track might prove a little on the sharp side for his resolute galloper, a horse who came a fine second to Big Buck's in the 2010 Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and who went on to win his first two chase starts at that track in impressive fashion last autumn before returning to run well (in hindsight) in finishing fifth in the RSA Chase, despite bursting a blood vessel. People following the best online Cheltenham race odds should remember this. A beaten favourite on his seasonal return at Wetherby where he only gave best to Weird Al after the final fence in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, the seven-year-old Flemensfirth gelding shaped well at Haydock until the sixth fence from home where he soon became outpaced and gradually dropped away to be beaten some 25-lengths by the sensational Kauto Star who rolled back the years with an intensely emotional fourth win in the Betfair Chase. Although it was always asking a lot of Time For Rupert to lower the colours of Kauto Star and the outstanding Long Run (who finished second), but connections had expected a better display and will have to think carefully now as to where to proceed from here. Bookmakers reacted by pushing Time For Rupert out from 14/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup prior to the Haydock race, to a general offer of 20/1, with 25/1 available now in places.

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