Legendary staying hurdler Big Buck’s dies aged 23
Big Buck’s, one of the most celebrated staying hurdlers of the modern era, has died at the age of 23. The home-bred bay spent his racing career with trainer Paul Nicholls and was owned for the majority of his life by the late Andy Stewart.
A defining figure of Ditcheat’s golden spell
During a period that produced household names such as Kauto Star, Denman, Master Minded and Neptune Collonges, Big Buck’s forged a reputation as the dominant force in long-distance hurdle races. He won the feature staying hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival four times, compiled four victories in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree and took the Long Walk Hurdle on three occasions.
Although connections initially considered a switch to chasing, a fall at the final fence of the 2008 Hennessy Gold Cup prompted a return to hurdles. That decision proved defining: over obstacles he had found a level of consistency and dominance that secured his place among the leading stayers of his generation.
Racing pattern and memorable traits
Big Buck’s became a festival staple, particularly on the third day at Cheltenham, where his familiar racing pattern of a mid-race lull followed by a powerful finish endeared him to racegoers. He enjoyed a long and successful partnership with jockey Ruby Walsh, whose timing on the run up the Cheltenham hill produced some of the horse’s most iconic passages of racing.
Across National Hunt racing he compiled an extended winning sequence after reverting to hurdles, a streak that at the time set a record for successive victories in the sphere and stood as a benchmark until later equalled and surpassed by other champions.
Trainer reflection and legacy
Paul Nicholls, who trained Big Buck’s at Ditcheat, reflected on the horse’s quality and the decisions that shaped his career. While acknowledging that Big Buck’s was never a natural over larger fences, Nicholls has highlighted the athlete’s exceptional ability and the fine margins that can determine a horse’s path — whether as a chaser or as an outstanding hurdler.
Nicholls also noted the role played by owner Andy Stewart in enjoying and sharing the horse’s successes with the wider racing community. After retiring from the track, Big Buck’s spent his later years with Mike and Lucy Felton, who cared for him until his passing.
Festival footprints and racecourse palmarès
- Four-time winner of the Cheltenham Festival’s feature staying hurdle (commonly known during his era as the World Hurdle; now staged as the Stayers’ Hurdle).
- Four victories in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.
- Three wins in the Long Walk Hurdle.
Big Buck’s won at the biggest meeting in British jump racing and collected Grade One honours across the major staying hurdle contests at Cheltenham, Aintree, Newbury and Ascot, leaving an indelible mark on the festival circuit.
Final note
As one of the last surviving representatives of Nicholls’s remarkable string of top-class performers from that era, Big Buck’s passing closes a chapter in recent National Hunt history. His combination of longevity, festival success and a distinctive racing style ensured he remained a popular figure with followers of jump racing for many seasons.
