Cheltenham Festival ante post punters were left scratching their heads on Thursday as Big Buck’s continued to drift in the betting for the 2011 World Hurdle.

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Paul Nicholls’ stable star has never been beaten over the smaller obstacles and had been as short at 4/7 to retain his crown at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, fans of the multiple Grade One winner will be concerned that leading Irish bookie Paddy Power now make the gelding 4/5 to win Thursday’s feature at the meeting as support continues to come for David Pipe’s Cleeve Hurdle winner Grand Crus.

Paddy Power are offering all new customers a free £100 bet on the World Hurdle (get your hands on the offer here) and while the firm will probably be expecting to see most punters siding with Big Buck’s, there has clearly been plenty of support for his market rival with Grand Crus’ odds slashed from 10/1 into 5/2.

Grand Crus looked like he could provide Big Buck’s with a serious problem after his success at Cheltenham last week, but the champion is sure to be spot on next month as he goes in search of a remarkable third consecutive victory at the Festival.