Horse Racing

Ladbrokes World Hurdle – Distance: 3 miles – Winning Time: 4:49.4

The World Hurdle saw one of the very few accurately predicted wins of this year’s Cheltenham Festival. 8-11 favourite Big Buck’s indeed crossed the line first, and with an almost insolent ease and elegance. Ridden by Ruby Walsh, who recorded his third win of the Festival in this race, the seven-year-old repeated the winning performance he delivered last year in the same event. The gelding now stands undefeated in seven consecutive races and is naturally handled as a hot favourite for a hat trick to be completed next season.

Time For Rupert made a surprising second place, battling on to the line with a legendary effort; 40-1 outsider Powerstation ran a tremendous race to win third place. William Kennedy, who piloted Time For Rupert, pursued the leader in spite of advise to the contrary, a risky decision which paid off nicely.

Sentry Duty under Barry Geraghty, who has ridden two winners in the 2010 Festival so far, pulled up before the last fence and did not finish the race. Katchit, a previous winner of the Champion Hurdle, suffered a hindleg injury during the race which will in all likelihood see him out of action for the rest of the season. Despite the discomfort the Alan King-trained contender did finish the race at 11th rank, defeating War Of Attrition and Cape Tribulation.

PU = Pulled Up