Still just six years of age, Big Buck’s is simply a wonderfully talented horse with an interesting and unique character. Housed at Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls’ yard at Ditcheat in Somerset, he resides in his box next door to the great Master Minded and adjacent to both Denman and Kauto Star.
When speaking to Nicholls head lad Clifford Baker he’ll tell you “I don’t think Big Buck’s knows how good Big Buck’s is”. We may not yet have seen the best of this French bred horse as when asked to quicken in running he simply comes alive, back onto the bridle and suddenly arrives there too early.
Nicholls develops Big Buck’s character sighting that, like Kauto Star “he has got toe and stays”. The Champion Trainer also admits that the key to the horse is his jockey Ruby Walsh. Walsh who holds the horse up so superbly in his races admits to the horse being ‘a bit quirky’ but counters that by confirming that Big Buck’s has ‘a lot of class’.
Big Buck’s will hopefully one day return to fences possibly once his illustrious stable mates (Denman and Kauto Star) have moved into decline. Maybe, The Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 is a realistic target but Walsh needs to be in the saddle and Big Buck’s will also need to tidy up his jumping. For now Hurdles will do fine and while Ruby Walsh is aboard Kauto Star then he will not run over fences with anyone else on board.