All 11 entries for the BGC Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday have stood their ground at the 48-hour declaration stage with Big Buck’s and Diamond Harry set for a mouthwatering clash.
Big Buck's v Diamond Harry on Saturday
Last season’s World Hurdle hero Big Buck’s made an effortless return to action in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, winning the Grade Two contest hard on the bridle.
If he does triumph at the weekend, it will be the fifth successive Saturday that the feature prize has gone to his trainer Paul Nicholls, following on from the victories of Kauto Star, Denman, Twist Magic and Poquelin. Grade One-winning novice Diamond Harry also made an impressive comeback as he defied top-weight in a competitive handicap at Haydock.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Pepe Simo heads a maximum field of 21 runners in the Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday.
The five-year-old has enjoyed a productive start to the campaign having already registered three successes over timber, but that has earned him top-weight in the fiercely competitive handicap.
