Ascot Racecourse

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Big Buck's Cruises in at Newbury
29/12/10

1 Big Buck's 2/13F
2 Lough Derg 40/1
3 Restless Harry 12/1
6 ran Distances: 6l, hd, 20l

Tony McCoy was a mere passenger as he steered Big Buck's to an effortless victory in the race named in his honour, the AP Wins Sports Personality Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury.

Big Buck’s
© racing-images.co.uk

The race was saved over from Ascot's card on December 18, with Big Buck's' owner Andy Stewart stepping in to sponsor it. Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 2-13 after nine successive wins over hurdles, the Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old landed the honours as expected.

Lough Derg, a former winner of the race, put up his best effort for some time and despite looking likely to be swamped turning into the straight, he rallied for pressure to see off Restless Harry for second. However, in truth, this race was only ever about one horse and he provided McCoy with a treble and Nicholls a four-timer on the day.

Stewart said: "It's a privilege to own him - he's a horse of a lifetime. I thought he (Nicholls) was mad to go over hurdles with him but on the basis he got that right, I'll always listen to him. In 2011 he will go for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle. He's the best horse I've owned."

Nicholls added: "He's getting more assured and is older and stronger. You can ride him any way you like now and he was probably a lot fitter from his last run. He'll probably run in the Cleeve Hurdle (Cheltenham, January 29) now and then we'll go to Cheltenham and Aintree. Ability wise, he's as good as I've trained - he's got it all."

McCoy said: "You don't even need to say anything about a horse like that you just have to look at his form. I hate admitting defeat but there's no point even trying to follow a horse like him around Cheltenham as he's just obviously the best."

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Big Buck's P F Nicholls	A P McCoy 11st 7lbs	2 - 13 Winner
2	Lough Derg D Pipe	T Scudamore 11st 7lbs	40 - 1 6 lengths
3	Restless Harry R Dickin	H Oliver 11st 7lbs	12 - 1 Head
4	Kayf Aramis N A Twiston-Davies	P J Brennan 11st 7lbs	33 - 1 20 lengths
5	Afsoun N B King	Alex Merriam 11st 7lbs	100 - 1 25 lengths
PulledUp	Duc De Regniere N J Henderson	A Tinkler 11st 7lbs	9 - 1

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

2009 BIG BUCK’S 6-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh 1/2F
2008 PUNCHESTOWNS 5-11-07 Judy Wilson Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty 3/1F
2007 LOUGH DERG 7-11-07 W Frewen David Pipe Tom Scudamore 14/1
2006 MIGHTY MAN 6-11-07 Joss Hanbury Henry Daly Richard Johnson 11/8F
2005 MY WAY DE SOLZEN 5-11-07 B Windfield, A Longman, J Wright, C Fenton; Alan King Robert Thornton 12/1
2004 BARACOUDA 9-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Tony McCoy 8/13F
2003 BARACOUDA 8-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/7F
2002 DEANO’S BEENO 10-11-07 Axom Martin Pipe Tony McCoy 14/1
2001 BARACOUDA 6-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/5F
2000 BARACOUDA 5-11-07 Roger Barby Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 11/4
1999 ANZUM 8-11-07 Old Foresters P’ship Alan King Richard Johnson 4/1
1998 PRINCEFUL 7-11-07 Robert Hitchins Jenny Pitman Richard Dunwoody 11/4F
1997 PADDY’S RETURN 5-11-07 Paddy O’Donnell Ferdy Murphy Norman Williamson 8/1
1996 OCEAN HAWK 4-11-07 Matt Archer/Jean Broadhurst Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/1
1995 SILVER WEDGE 4-11-07 Shirley & Bill Robins Oliver Sherwood Jamie Osborne 7/1
1994 HEBRIDEAN 7-11-07 Peter Deal David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 100/30
1993 SWEET DUKE 6-11-07 Andy Mavrou Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/2
1992 VAGOG 7-11-07 M A Swift Martin Pipe Martin Foster 15/2
1991 Abandoned due to frost
1990 FLOYD 10-11-07 Mike Walsh David Elsworth Graham Bradley 10/1
1989 ROYAL ATHLETE 6-10-08 Gary Johnson Jenny Pitman Dean Gallagher 33/1
1988 FRENCH GOBLIN 5-11-01 Maurice Pinto Josh Gifford Peter Hobbs 3/1
1987 BLUFF COVE 5-10-08 Dickins Ltd Reg Hollinshead Richard Dunwoody 14/1
1986 OUT OF THE GLOOM 5-10-08 Paul Green Reg Hollinshead Peter Scudamore 4/1
1985 MISTY DALE 7-10-08 David Rose Jenny Pitman Phil Tuck 9/4F
1984 KRISTENSON 7-10-08 Ursula Fantasia Roger Fisher Michael Williams 7/2
1983 CRIMSON EMBERS 8-10-11 Pam Smart Fulke Walwyn Stuart Shilston 14/1
1982 MAYOTTE 7-10-11 B Davies Richard Holder Paul Richards 15/8F
1981 Abandoned due to snow
1980 DERRING ROSE 5-11-11 Peter Savill Fred Winter John Francome 7/1
1979 JOHN CHERRY 8-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 6/1
1978 KELSO CHANT 6-11-07 Mrs M Richardson Jumbo Wilkinson Steve Charlton 10/1
1977 JOHN CHERRY 6-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 11/8F
1976 Abandoned due to frost
1975 LANZAROTE 7-12-05 Lord Howard de Walden Fred Winter John Francome 4/9F
1974 GO BINGO 5-11-12 Guy Reed Sam Hall David Munro 9/4
1973 SOLONING 8-11-08 Mrs C Thornton Fred Winter Richard Pitman 9/2
1972 HIGHLAND ABBE 6-11-12 Mrs K Hankey Les Kennard Mr R Smith 11/1
1971 ST PATRICK’S BLUE 6-11-12 P Aunger David Tatlow Bill Smith 7/2F
1970 ROUGE AUTUMN 6-10-05 Bryan Jenks Fred Rimell Ken White 9/2F
1969 CANDID CAMERA 6-10-06 R F P Ross Ted Goddard Joe Guest 100/8
1968 Abandoned due to waterlogging
1967 Abandoned due to foot and mouth epidemic
1966 SIR EDWARD 6-10-09 R Heaton Ryan Price Josh Gifford 7/2F
1965 MINUTE GUN 8-10-04 Bill Shand Kydd Bill Shand Kydd Richard Pitman 100/8