Paul Nicholls has confirmed that all is well with Big Buck’s after his fifteenth consecutive victory at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The superstar powered to another victory in the Cleeve Hurdle at Prestbury Park and jockey Ruby Walsh never really had to get to work on the multiple Grade One-winning nine-year-old.
Big Buck’s will now be targeted at a fourth World Hurdle victory at Cheltenham in March and Nicholls explained: "He's done well winning 15 on the trot and they've all been decent races.
"He was his normal self on Saturday - he looked beaten for a second and then wins easily. That's just him. He's come out of the race very well, he cantered (on Tuesday) and now we'll just tick him over and get him right for the Festival.”
Meanwhile, Nicholls was also pleased with Big Buck’s stablemate Poquelin after he finished runner-up to The Giant Bolster in the Murphy Group Chase and Nicholls continued: "He ran a great race and Harry (Derham) had a great ride off him as well. He'd been ill since he ran at Cheltenham over Christmas but he'll go for the Ryanair Chase now.
"He's run well in it for the past two years, but he just falls a little short of Grade One level.
"He always runs a solid race and he's better off in the Ryanair than in a handicap."