At Fishers Cross set to fill big gap left by Buck's

Rebecca Curtis trains the unbeaten At Fishers Cross (Getty Images)

There is a big hole in the staying hurdlers' division while Big Buck's is sidelined and the horse best equipped to fill it is At Fishers Cross, who makes his seasonal reappearance in the Bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby.

It will be fascinating to see whether the brilliant Big Buck's, four times a Cheltenham champion and unbeaten in his last 18 starts, can come back as good as ever in January after more than a year out with injury.

Home reports are encouraging, but At Fishers Cross (3.00 Wetherby) is making a big impression of his own; six wins out of six in his novice season, culminating in major triumphs at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

Rebecca Curtis's six-year-old has been marked down as a mud-lover for much of his career, but the ground was quick enough at Liverpool and the conditions will not be offered up as an excuse if he fails to pass this test before being prepared for bigger battles later in the season – in particular, the 2014 World Hurdle, for which he and Big Buck's share 4-1 favouritism.

Long Run, winner of the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup and third in both subsequent runnings, is another taking the Yorkshire air on his return. There are bigger prizes than the Charlie Hall Chase later in the season, but Long Run (3.35 Wetherby) has never been far off his best when coming back after a break and he should still have a bit too much for some decent opposition even if not fully wound up.

Cockney Sparrow (1.50 Wetherby), a big improver over jumps last spring and fit from a successful stint on the Flat, looks the pick in an open OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle.

Several familiar names line up for the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot, including Roberto Goldblack, successful in the race 12 months ago. But there are also a few up-and-coming, second-season staying chasers on view, including Houblon Des Obeaux and Buddy Bolero, who both went to the Cheltenham Festival last March carrying bags of confidence.

Houblon Des Obeaux did not run a bad race all season until fluffing his lines when it mattered in the RSA Chase and remains one to stay on the right side of in this type of contest. But Buddy Bolero (3.20 Ascot) is preferred on this occasion. He had run (and won) just twice over fences before acquitting himself with great credit for one so inexperienced in the four-miler at Cheltenham and has the right attributes to develop into a serious Grand National contender one day.

Pine Creek (2.45 Ascot), bogged down in the mud when one of the favourites for the Imperial Cup at Sandown last spring, is fancied to bounce back on more suitable ground in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle.

In Ireland, the marvellous veteran Sizing Europe again attempts to win over three miles in the JNWine.com Champion Chase, but has tried and failed at this distance before and it will not be any easier this time against stayers of the calibre of First Lieutenant (2.30 Down Royal).