Big Bucks

Why??????

Surely if you can't get Walsh, you have to offer him to Jacob.

ZARKANDAR………….he said hopefully and talking through pocket !

They want same jockey on in Cleeve to ride in World Hurdle, so rules out Jacob other Nicholls runners I presume.

Why would it? They could just jock him on Big Bucks for those two races. I'd be seriously miffed if I was him now. Billy could be right, he'll probably be riding Zarkandar now, or Celestial Halo maybe?

If I was Jacobs I wouldn't be that miffed to be honest. Initial reaction might be miffed but thinking it through whoever rides Big Bucks has nothing to win and everything to lose. These are probably his last two races and if he wins it will all be about the horse and Mickey Mouse could have ridden him and if he loses guess who will cop the blame……….. I reckon Daryl is sat there thinking I am going to make out I am all offended and hurt to get some sympathy and benefit looking forward but really 'good luck Sam rather you than me".

Clarky will be happy...4-1 Walsh to ride a winner for Nicholls at Festival

Jacob might well have a better chance come March

Is that confirmed?? Honestly thought Ruby would be on board. Jacobs ride on Tidal Bay in WN proves how the knowing of these tricky rides is the difference between victory and defeat. To be fair, STD gave TB a great ride fto at Wetherby. That could have had a huge bearing on him getting this mount. Massive Chelt for the lad.

STD is on a hiding to nothing here bit like moyes stepping into fergies shoes....Personally I don't think Big Bucks will be anywere near as good as he was as i am a firm believer that they don't come back.....to ask big bucks to run in both the Cleave then the World hurdles is to much he will either Win or pull up in the Cleeve and then retire or will win the cleeve then bounce in the World hurdle cant have him on mind winning both im afraid (My opinion and were all entitled to them )and iv followed him all the way 916/1 when he won his 1st world hurdle)....
If i owned him it would be straight to cheltenham no prep run ..... Im a massive fan also of STD and hope (but guess he will ) he dosent get slaughtered if things go wrong .... Good luck BB and sam...

Noel Fehily or Barry Geraghty would be way ahead of STD for me

St Nick - I have Big Bucks as the lay of the festival.

I don't even think hes gonna get there!

I don't even think hes gonna get there!

if he wins this will be 1 of the greatest achievements of all time by trainer an horse let alone the jockey!

If there's anyone that can do it, it's Nicholls.

STD - very unfortunate initials.

FFS, Walsh not riding is a joke, though i'm on Annie Power at 8s for World Hurdle ;)

Might cop both Ballydoyle ;) I'm not stupid ;)

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls explains why Sam Twiston-Davies will be riding Big Buck's this season, and not number one stable jockey Daryl Jacob...

I wasn't going to comment on the fact that Sam Twiston-Davies is going to ride Big Buck's this season, but having heard of some ill-informed comments doing the rounds I felt that I had to put the record straight here.

The big question for me was how keen was Daryl to ride the horse?

The simple fact is that Daryl has never given me the impression that he was mad keen to ride Big Buck's.

If he had, then he could have been on the horse in the Cleeve Hurdle. End of story. And with Andy's full blessing and agreement.

So there is no need for anyone to feel sorry for Daryl, or read anything wider into this decision.

Tough and difficult decisions have to be made in this game, and I won't shy away from them.

We have obviously been discussing Big Buck's' comeback for a few weeks at Ditcheat and it became clear to me that Daryl had doubts about riding him in the Cleeve, and that immediately put a big doubt in my mind.

It was the lack of him being positive more than anything else.

So we talked it over at length and Daryl explained how he viewed the ride, almost as if he saw it as something of a poisoned chalice.

He explained that, in his opinion, Big Buck's was part of a past generation here at Ditcheat - the last remnant of the Kauto Star and Denman era, if you will - that he has never been part of that, and his focus was on the future.

It was as if he regarded the ride as being in a no-win situation. If Big Buck's won, it was all down the horse. If he lost, and that phenomenal unbeaten run with it, it was down to him.

That is no way to approach any race.

Daryl has his eyes set firmly on horses of the future and that means continuing to ride the likes of Zarkandar, whom he gets on with so well. And if he had committed to Big Buck's, then who is to say that my other owners wouldn't have seen that as a snub.

So it was his mind-set that actually made up my mind up for me. If there is any negativity or doubt in a jockey's mind, then in my book he effectively rules himself out of the reckoning there and then.

I then approached Ruby and AP, who have both won on the horse, but neither would or could commit.

So myself and Andy talked it over at some length these past few days, and on Friday I rang Daryl and Nick to tell them of our decision.

It wouldn't surprise me if Daryl didn't feel a sense of relief at the news. And late on Friday we then told Sam that we would like him to ride the horse.

For Sam it is a totally different scenario, and in many ways a win-win situation. He is really looking forward to riding Big Buck's, which is what we want.

For those who think that this is a big snub for Daryl - and plenty obviously do - then they should read this and think again.

And don't forget that he isn't the retained jockey at Ditcheat, he is our main jockey. There is a difference.

He will never ride all of the horses, and at no point did he think that he would. And nor will anyone in the future. For example, Nick rides Irving and Noel rides Silviniaco Conti. This kind of decision is nothing new.

But Daryl will still ride a lot of good horses for us, and ride them well, too.

And if people say that Nick should have been the next choice of jockey for Big Buck's, then they are barking up the wrong tree there, too.

Nick knows that he is our second jockey for the second meetings, and he is doing extremely well. And I imagine that the prospect of riding our horses at Doncaster on January 25, if needed - in the Skybet Chase, and possibly Hinterland and others there too - suits him just fine.

So it would be wrong to blow this out of all proportion, and feel sorry for anyone.

There has been no falling out - Daryl will continue to ride for Andy and has the confidence of all our owners - it is just simply that a decision had to be made. And we made it.

I am not saying any more on this subject, and now I just want to focus on getting a wonderful racehorse back on the track.

That's the most important thing.

av nt read such sh1te in a long time

If Jacob did say that, then you have to question his ambition. There is an argument that the ride could be a "poisoned chalice", but if you want to be a top jockey, you shouldn't be turning down or anything less than keen on riding the favourite for a championship race.

…..unless you think BB is not the same horse and you think you have a better chance on one of the other horses…….like Zarkandar.

Trainer Paul Nicholls has scrapped plans for Big Buck’s to have another racecourse gallop prior to Cheltenham’s Cleeve Hurdle on Jan 25, according to owner Andy Stewart, who is now looking forward to having as many as four runners in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Festival on March 13.
Nicholls and Stewart found themselves the subject of heavy criticism on Twitter at the weekend after announcing that Sam Twiston-Davies would be brought in to partner Big Buck’s instead of stable No 1 Daryl Jacob, who in normal circumstances would have expected to ride the four-time stayers’ champion.
Speaking from Barbados on Sunday, Stewart said it had been a business decision to book 21-year-old Twiston-Davies, and he stressed that he had discussed the matter with Jacob, who he now expected to partner Zarkandar as a fifth runner for Nicholls in the World Hurdle.
“Paul Nicholls is a businessman first and a trainer second. I’m a
businessman, too, and sometimes you have to make decisions that not everybody is happy about,” Stewart said.

“We have been slagged off in the social media for booking Sam for Big Buck’s. People have been saying that we have been disloyal to Daryl. But, I can tell you that Daryl doesn’t see it that way. He was one of the first to call after [the Stewart Family-owned] Saphir Du Rheu won on Saturday, and he wished us well with Big Buck’s,” he said.
Saphir Du Rheu booked himself a crack at the World Hurdle with a very convincing six-length win in the Lanzarote Hurdle, over two miles, five furlongs, at Kempton Park. He remained a 12-1 chance with the sponsor, and he is set to join Big Buck’s (top-priced 5-2), Celestial Halo (14-1) and Salubrious (25-1) in the owner’s four-strong squad. Paddy Power are betting 6-4 about a Stewart-only winner of the race.
Stewart added that he understood Zarkandar (16-1) would be aimed at the World Hurdle. “I believe that Chris Giles and Jared Sullivan are both keen on the stayers’ race, rather than the Champion Hurdle,” he pointed out.
The owner also added that Big Buck’s had been pleasing Nicholls enough at home for him to dispense with a planned gallop away from home.
“Big Buck’s is not going to be 100 per cent fit on Jan 25, there will be quite a bit left to play with. But those who know him say he is still as good as when we last saw him on a racecourse,” he added.
Despite the reassurances, the cold, hard facts are that Jacob is not on either of the Nicholls stable stars, Big Buck’s or Silviniaco Conti, the Gold Cup hope.



So the whole Nicholls article today is a lie reading that from Stewart tonight?!

BJG - where did you read that stuff from Stewart ?

Haylingbilly

From the Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/cheltenham-festival/10567165/Big-Bucks-owner-Andy-Stewart-defends-decision-to-snub-stable-jockey-Darly-Jacob.html

King S - Thanks. Much appreciated. Quite open about plans isn't he. Wonder if it is genuine. Especially news about Zarkandar. First time I have read anything positive about him running in World Hurdle for some time.

This is just embarassing and I'm gonna laugh my arse off if he gets beat in World Hurdle

ruby and ap w ould not or could not commit to ride big bucks ,Jacob didn't want it ! and stewert may run 4 hardly inspires confidence ,

aint that the truth foyles

I think I wil hav my 1st world hurdle antepost stab at zarkandar

Also got excuses in already for if gets beat 1st time not 100% fit, you think they have had enough time to get him a1 by now?

“Paul Nicholls is a businessman first and a trainer second. I’m a
businessman, too, and sometimes you have to make decisions that not everybody is happy about,” Stewart said.


How can folks not be happy if as Nicholls says Jacob ruled himself out
It doesnt add up somebody telling porkies

Really looking forward to seeing him on the 25th and I hope he has retained enough ability to at least do himself justice. His presence in the Cleeve will probably add 5000 to the attendance.

There's nothing contradictory about the statement. Nicholls said the jockey was a bit timid, and that's not what you want for a big shot. The owner says they made a decision that not everybody was going to like. Going by the article, 'everbody' could be racing fans and users of social media.

Nicholls reply may not serve to clear the air

Racing Post columnist Lee Mottershead thinks Paul Nicholls may regret some of the tone of his statement regarding the Big Buck's jockey decision.

DOWN Ditcheat way Big Buck's is at the centre of a jockey dilemma. Deja vu anyone? In the 2008 Hennessy, Sam Thomas's unseating from the horse who would become the greatest long-distance hurdler was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Thomas, who had suffered a series of confidence-knocking reverses while standing in for the sidelined Ruby Walsh, lost the mount on Master Minded in the following week's Tingle Creek Chase, with Paul Nicholls using language that bore striking similarity to that employed with explosive effect yesterday.

Explaining the Master Minded move, Nicholls said at the time: "This takes the heat out of the situation and Sam seemed quite relieved when I told him. If he'd ridden Master Minded he would have been in a no-win situation. The pressure would have been almost unbearable."

Regarding Big Buck's, Nicholls utilised his Betfair column to claim the problem with Jacob was not a rider lacking confidence in himself but in his horse.

"It was as if he regarded the ride as being a no-win situation," wrote Nicholls, later adding: "It wouldn't surprise me if Daryl didn't feel a sense of relief at the news."

After this latest twist it would be a surprise if Jacob feels much relief. Nicholls is adamant Jacob could have ridden Big Buck's had he really wanted what most would see as a mouth-watering opportunity. After the trainer decided Jacob was not relishing the chance he offered it first to Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy before choosing Sam Twiston-Davies.

His assessment of Jacob's mental state was succinct. "If there is any negativity or doubt in a jockey's mind," he says, "then he effectively rules himself out of the reckoning there and then."

The problem the union between Jacob and Nicholls now faces is clear. When Jacob reacted to the Twiston-Davies booking on Saturday he made a point of not bemoaning what had happened. He clearly attempted to sound as upbeat as possible.

In the public arena Jacob has said nothing wrong, but in that same arena he has had his mindset criticised at length by his boss, who has published for universal consumption what would normally be a confidential employee appraisal. That will surely leave Jacob feeling "negativity and doubt" but also seemingly a degree of anger given that in the comments he gave last night he twice chose not to refer to Nicholls by his first name.

Jacob, who shares the same agent, Chris Broad, with Twiston-Davies, is now in a situation akin to that of a husband or wife who has discovered their spouse is having an affair while making no secret of the fact. For this particular cuckolded sportsman, the most troubling aspect must be that the third member of the love triangle is a younger rival widely spoken about as a future champion.

Nicholls is plainly enamoured of Twiston-Davies and rightly so. His first priority as a trainer and businessman is not to his jockeys but to his horses and, by extension, their owners. He says in his statement "tough and difficult decisions have to be made in this game and I won't shy away from them". Nor should he. Nor should we do anything other than celebrate the fact Nicholls is so willing to be open in his public comments.

Sometimes, however, Nicholls has rued being too open for his own good. He has no desire to join the diplomatic corps, but he might on reflection regret some of the tone of the content in his statement.

Nicholls also points out Jacob is his "main jockey" not his "retained jockey" and that no rider will ever again partner all the yard's horses. That was an attempt to clear muddy waters; future riding arrangements will tell us how clear those waters now are.