Ireland - Cheltenham Big Buck's cruises to the front in the World Hurdle.

Ruby Walsh is long odds-on to be crowned the 2010 Cheltenham Festival top jockey after bagging his third winner of the meeting aboard Big Buck's in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

The stable number one for both Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins has scooped the award for the past two years, and is 2-9 with William Hill and 1-5 with totesport to retain the title.

The latter firm make Ryanair Chase winner Tony McCoy their 7-1 second-favourite after he ended the day on two winners for the week, a total also achieved by Barry Geraghty and Richard Johnson.

Friday afternoon's Cheltenham Gold Cup could prove crucial to the jockeys' title race with Walsh and McCoy going head-to-head aboard Kauto Star and Denman respectively.

McCoy suffered two bone-crunching falls on Thursday afternoon but despite finishing the day stiff and sore he does nohave to pass the doctor to ride on the concluding day of the Festival.