Ditcheat trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed that Big Buck's will be retired after he missed out on a fifth World Hurdle at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival.
Big Buck's, who had won 18 consecutive races before suffering a leg injury last year, was among the front-runners on Thursday but faded in the closing stages and finished fifth behind More of That.
It was the legendary horse's second defeat in as many races, following his third-placed finish in his comeback at the Cleeve Hurdle in January, and Nicholls has decided to bring his glittering career to an end.
"[Owner] Andy Stewart and I have just decided to retire him," Nicholls told Channel 4 Racing.
"We'd been talking about it and we're not going to ask him to do any more.
"He's been a legend, we don't to see him carry on and get hurt. We're mightily proud of him - he ran a good race but he's just not got the legs he used to have.
"It's a sad day but we're grateful he is in one piece. He's been an amazing horse to be involved with, a pleasure to train. It's the right decision at the right time."
Big Buck's went into the World Hurdle as second-favourite behind Annie Power, who had to settle for the runners-up spot to More of That.
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