PAUL NICHOLLS thinks favourite Big Buck’s has a “massive chance” of winning today’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury and could turn into a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender.

Nicholls won the race with subsequent Cheltenham hero Denman, and despite one of two concerns believes Big Buck’s has the ability to follow in his stable-mates hoofprints.

Nicholls said: “I think Big Buck’s has improved (from last season) and I think he will improve.

“If he jumps really well and travels well on the heels of the leaders or somewhere near turning in, then I think he’ll have a massive chance.

“You don’t want any hard-luck stories or anything going wrong, which makes me a little bit nervous with Big Buck’s, because I need him jumping well.

“If he starts making mistakes and getting a little bit cautious he’ll pay the penalty. This is not like a five-runner novices’ chase.

“One day I hope he’ll be good enough for a Gold Cup but he’ll need to run well in this if he is,” he added.

Nicholls, who also won the Hennessy as twice as a jockey, also saddles Dear Villez and My Will.

He sadded: “I also think that Dear Villez will run very well.

“He won the Munster National earlier this season at Limerick and he will love the ground and is a course winner.

“My Will has gone well fresh in the past, but it would be a big ask.”

Nicky Henderson, who won the Hennessy with Trabolgan three years ago, saddles Oedipe this time and said: “I think he has a chance. You wouldn’t pay anything for him if you saw him work but, that said, he did go rather well this morning in the fog where he probably didn’t know where he was going.

“This has always been the plan. Obviously there are going to be many people trying very hard to win a race that is part of Newbury’s history but all we do is try to get our horses there in one piece.”

WEEKEND NAPS: TODAY: Albertas Run (2.40pm Newbury). TOMORROW: Chickapeakray (2.30pm Carlisle)