There may be no truth in the rumour that the Office of Fair Trading have received a letter from a batch of trainers, citing the stranglehold that Paul Nicholls has exerted on so many of the feature races of late, but he is again the man they all have to beat.

Big Buck’s will be short odds for the Grade One Racing UK Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury, but that does not mean he is without opposition, numerically at least. A field of eight take him on, lead by exciting prospect Diamond Harry.

The two-mile division is regarded as the cream of the crop but, according to the British Horseracing Authority handicap ratings, Big Buck’s is better than any of them – which is not bad for a horse who was only sent hurdling as an afterthought.

That came after he had unseated his rider in last year’s Hennessy Gold Cup and Nicholls decided on the switch partly based on the jumping of Big Buck’s and partly because of the veritable log jam that the trainer has in terms of staying chasers. The horse’s owner, Andy Stewart, is never one to be scared off by the opposition but when the home team is headed up by Kauto Star and Denman, then discretion is the better part of valour.   

The rewards have been an unbeaten run of five, highlighted by his victory in the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Big Buck’s started this season with a seven-length victory over Lough Derg in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last month, and he is now rated 5lb better than any hurdler currently in training.

Just how much better Diamond Harry may be than his current assessment of 165 is an open question and he looked impressive when winning a handicap, as the topweight, at Haydock Park last month on his first try at three miles. Diamond Harry was a Grade One winner as a novice however, he does have three and a quarter lengths to make up on Karabak, on their run behind Mikael D’Haguenet in the Ballymore Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, and this race does represent a huge step up in class from handicap company.

The Long Walk was saved from a snow-bound grave when Ascot’s meeting was abandoned 11 days ago and the rescheduling of the Grade One Lexus Chase, which got lost in the fog at Leopardstown yesterday, makes for a game of musical saddles among the jockeys.   

Nicholls already has a stranglehold on the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Kauto Star and Denman, and attempts to add to his reserves when he runs What A Friend who will now be ridden by Sam Thomas.

Barry Geraghty was due to ride but has commitments at Newbury today and the same to Ruby Walsh, who will be on Big Bucks, but he had opted to ride Cooldine for Willie Mullins. Cooldine was favourite before betting was suspended but, having not run since April, he may well need the run. What a Friend, a fast-improving six-year-old, may not have been able to handle Denman in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last month – beaten three and a half lengths in receipt of 22lbs – but there is nothing of that calibre in this field.

The other Grade One race on the card is the Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle for which Solwhit is the favourite but Sublimity beat him by three and a quarter lengths in the “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle at Newcastle last month – when the pair finished second and third to Go Native – and seems to be back to something like his best form following a breathing operation earlier this year.