Banbury trainer Paul Webber plans to let stable star Time For Rupert have another crack at Big Buck’s in the John Smith’s Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday, April 8.

The six-year-old put up a career-best effort for Webber’s Mollington yard at Cheltenham when beating all bar Paul Nicholls’s two-time winner in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

Novice chasing beckons for the gelding next term, but Webber is keen to have one more crack at a Grade 1 hurdle first.

“He's come out of it fine, I even rode him myself this morning and he managed to stagger up the hill with me on board!" said Webber yesterday.

“He seems to come out of these races very, very well at the moment which hopefully is a sign that he can still improve a little bit here or there.

“He seems to be improving with every run, so hopefully he might go to Aintree.

“His best runs have been on good ground, Aintree last year was pretty quick and it certainly doesn’t hinder him.

“There is a bit of talk that Big Buck’s might go chasing, but I’d have thought we’ll stick to the plan and go chasing too.

“Obviously, if something goes wrong we can go back to the World Hurdle, but certainly the plan is to go chasing with him.”