World Hurdle defo the plan Henderson says.
Personally cannot see him beating Big Bucks but the 11-4 in the betting without him market is a very fair price

OSCAR WHISKY really pleased me and it was a pleasure to ride him to win the Cheltenham and Three Counties hurdle for the second time.

The doctor’s orders before were not to give him a hard race, so he didn’t get one!

It was perfect.

He is a very versatile hurdler because he’d win an ordinary Champion Hurdle. He is top class at two and a half as he showed when winning at Aintree and has the potential to stay three miles, which will bring in the World Hurdle.

He would have a realistic chance of the three-mile crown in March but anyone would have to have the greatest respect for Big Buck’s but you can’t be afraid to take him on.

I’d hope that their relative prices wouldn’t truly reflect their real chance – but I’m biased. I’d like to think we would give the champ a rattle.

Don't quite understand OW preparations to be honest. He's about to take on possibly the best staying hurdler we have seen, yet they are not going to see if he stays the 3mile trip.

If he doesn't stay, then it will have been a waste of time for a horse who can mix it with the best over shorter distances.

Hes a grade 1 horse and does better over 2.5 than 2, so the world hurdle is worth a try and if he stays the distance then hes in with a great chance. This is the race im most excited about.

Gwan Oscar!

The horse seems to be campaigned very much to suit the owner. That's fair enough - he pays the bills after all - but it probably doesn't give the horse its best chgance of success at the Festival.

The trainer is also well known for wanting to keep the miles off his charges, so that they arrive in March fresh. He has won 2 stayers crowns, so I would not be concerned. I think he'll run a big race and is probably the e/w bet of the meeting.

He'll be trained to the minute that's for sure. I hope he can give BB a race.

He's going to run at Ffos Las on Feb 4th in the Welsh "Champion" Hurdle because his owner also owns the track. I'd say that's a slight disadvantage re Cheltenham and perhaps not training to the minute.

ahhh rite, well cud u do me a favour and tell me which horses are going to be" trained to the minute" and which are not going to be trained to the minute for each race at festival! id love to no!

hopefully budd, and his biggest hope is that the rest arnt "trained to the minute"??

Yes he's likley to have an easy race thiough it's decent proze money and I think a lot were put off last year by very soft ground. I can't see inside Henderson's head so I don't know if he thinks it's ideal prep for the horse. He won't be as fresh as Big Buck's for example, but who knows if that will matter?

What is clear is that OW couldn't beat Hurricane Fly last season and now he's being asked to beat a horse who is arguably better after the same sort of prep.

Yep, it is. I think he's better but it can't be proved. March will give us a clue

I agree with GI Mac - the trainer's record at the festival suggests he is second to none at training a horse for a festival race to the minute. Nothing wrong in making that asusmption for me. And regarding his freshness for the race compared to Big Bucks, Nicholls has hinted that Big Bucks will run in the Cleve which is a change from the last 2 yrs, so maybe he is also in the process of messing things up, just like Henderson

I think it would be nice to know whether Oscar stayed before the race, but shoudl he take Big Bucks on in the Cleeve? Have a hard race and leave the Stayers behind? I am sur ethe trainer might have liked to test the water in advance, but I do not see the horse being damaged in any way by Fos Las as opposed to a run somewhere else (all things being equal). If anything, it may help him retain freshness. Fos Las did no damage last yr ahead of the Champion and the yr before he ran even later at Sandown before running in the supreme. Will running over 2 ligt him up in the  Stayers? I suspect not, he is a horse that settles well.

For me he is teh e/w bet of the festival and if they crawl like they did last yr, I think he will give BB something to think about (though BB is the best horse in training IMO, so its hard for me to see him being beaten).

Now what for Oscar?
Any ideas??
National Spirit over 2 and half at Fontwell would be ideal,but is it too close to festival??
Wincanton maybe??
Binocular probably needs a run too,remember what happened 3 years ago.

oh,did not realise they were planning on the 19th

Nicky Henderson says Oscar Whisky is "99.9% certain" to run in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Third in last year's Stan James Champion Hurdle, Dai Walters' charge is set to step up to three miles for a clash with Big Buck's despite also being entered in the two-mile contest again.

Plans for him have changed after the Welsh Champion Hurdle was lost to the cold-snap and he could take in an unconventional prep-race.

"He's in very good form and is in one of the jumper bumpers at Kempton on Friday and I haven't ruled that one out yet," the trainer told At The Races.

"Trouble is I'm running out of options for him but he isn't a horse I'm desperate to have a run. He's 99.9% certain to go to the World Hurdle."

Good,nice to see him run again and hopefully will help to have him spot on for March.

Have to stay he certainly isn't a looker. Very unimpressive in the paddock imo, really didn't take the eye.

I can't see him beating big bucks, the only way it's possible is if they crawl for 2 miles. But thats why Halo will probably be running. Oscar Whiskey at 4/1 or 5/1 is terrible value.

Has to prove he gets the trip for one thing, I'd happily be with Dynaste in a match bet

We were never going to learn anything today though and the same can be said for all the other NH horses who ran on the AW. They are completley irrelevant to what happens in March.

OW has plenty of class and is written off at peril, imo. We've not seen the best of him by any means. Placed in a Champion Hurdle and was conceding 8lb to Overrturn earlier this season. He may or may not have Won that race, but he didn't need to to tell us he is quality. Even a second place finish conceding the 8lb would have been a fine peformance. I dont see how this horse is terrible value at all. You are getting 5/1 about whether he can get an extra 4 furlongs at track he has plenty of form on.

Make no mistake, OW will give BB a big run for his money.

I disagree Sint. Tetlami ran against better horses over the same trip he will be running over at Chelts... so that was much more informative imo.

I think OW is a very, very good horse, but until I know he can stay 3m, especially against the greatest stayer of all time, I wouldnt touch him with a barge pole myself.