Howden Long Walk Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Ascot 14:25 £125,000 guaranteed 4yo plus, 3m 97y, Class 1  |
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This promises to be an exciting contest as Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo begins his season with a title defence. The seven-year-old narrowly defeated Paisley Park by a short head to claim victory in this race last term. Prior to that, he won on his seasonal debut at Aintree and finished third in Haydock’s Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle.
After his Grade One triumph at Ascot, Crambo contested top-level staying hurdles at both Cheltenham and Aintree but finished unplaced at both festivals. Originally scheduled to start his current campaign in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, a bad scope scuppered those plans. However, Crambo is now set to fight to retain his Long Walk Hurdle crown. O’Brien commented, “He’s very well, we’re really pleased with him. He had to miss Newbury but we have our fingers crossed he can make amends for it at Ascot. By this time last year, he’d already had two runs, so we’re hoping from here we can go a bit further into the season, through the winter and into the spring.”
Also in the mix is Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader, who capped off last season with a Grade One success in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree and won the Long Distance Hurdle on his first run this season. Dan Skelton has declared Kateira, but there is no place for Langer Dan.
Paul Nicholls has entered Blueking d’Oroux, while Nigel Twiston-Davies has put forward Beauport. Gary and Josh Moore’s Botox Has completes the home team lineup.
Gordon Elliott’s promising six-year-old, The Wallpark, may make his next appearance here. The Ask gelding has been on a winning streak, securing victories in his last four starts.
🟩🟨THE WALLPARK has been purchased by JP McManus since winning his Pertemps Qualifier at Cheltenham last month
— Ginger Joe Racing & Golf (@GingerJoeRacing) November 20, 2024
✅He will now be targeted at the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on the 21st Decemberpic.twitter.com/nGe52Tc7vE
After a successful run in a Listed event at Galway in August, The Wallpark showed his prowess in British racing by winning a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham’s October meeting, handling the three-mile distance with ease.
“He’s one who doesn’t do anything fancy at home, but he keeps winning. I thought the last win at Cheltenham was probably as good a run as he’s had,” said Elliott. “We’re considering the Long Walk Hurdle for him now. He’s probably still five or six pounds below the best stayers in England, but we’ll roll the dice and see where we are.”
There is a strong Irish contingent still engaged, including Henry de Bromhead’s Hiddenvalley Lake, Charles Byrnes’ Shoot First and William Durkan’s Eagle Fang.
Long Walk Hurdle
£125,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 97y, Class 1
10 runners
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 2P1P-1 Beauport 8 11-7 Nigel Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies
2 1154-2 Blueking d'Oroux 5 11-7 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden
3 61P5-0 Botox Has 8 11-7 Gary & Josh Moore Caoilin Quinn
4 13198- Crambo 7 11-7 Fergal O'Brien Jonathan Burke
5 9/F13- Hiddenvalley Lake 7 11-7 Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe
6 281/51 Shoot First 8 11-7 C Byrnes Philip Byrnes
7 2431-1 Strong Leader 7 11-7 Olly Murphy Sean Bowen
8 091111 The Wallpark 6 11-7 Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh
9 10-123 Eagle Fang 4 11-6 William Durkan Oakley Brown
10 241-31 Kateira 7 11-0 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton
LONG WALK HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR (1965-2021)
Race run as a handicap prior to 1971
(run at Newbury in 2009, Chepstow in 2005 and Windsor in 2004)
Year Winner Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP
2023 CRAMBO
2022 PAISLEY PARK
2021 CHAMP
2020 PAISLEY PARK
2019 THE WORLDS END
2018 PAISLEY PARK
2017 SAM SPINNER
2016 UNOWHATIMEANHARRY
2015 THISTLECRACK
2014 REVE DE SIVOLA
2013 REVE DE SIVOLA
2012 REVE DE SIVOLA
2011 BIG BUCK’S 8-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls AP McCoy 3/10F
2010 BIG BUCK’S 7-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls AP McCoy 2/13F
2009 BIG BUCK’S 6-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh 1/2F
2008 PUNCHESTOWNS 5-11-07 Judy Wilson Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty 3/1F
2007 LOUGH DERG 7-11-07 W Frewen David Pipe Tom Scudamore 14/1
2006 MIGHTY MAN 6-11-07 Joss Hanbury Henry Daly Richard Johnson 11/8F
2005 MY WAY DE SOLZEN 5-11-07 B Windfield, A Longman, J Wright, C Fenton; Alan King Robert Thornton 12/1
2004 BARACOUDA 9-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Tony McCoy 8/13F
2003 BARACOUDA 8-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/7F
2002 DEANO’S BEENO 10-11-07 Axom Martin Pipe Tony McCoy 14/1
2001 BARACOUDA 6-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/5F
2000 BARACOUDA 5-11-07 Roger Barby Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 11/4
1999 ANZUM 8-11-07 Old Foresters P’ship Alan King Richard Johnson 4/1
1998 PRINCEFUL 7-11-07 Robert Hitchins Jenny Pitman Richard Dunwoody 11/4F
1997 PADDY’S RETURN 5-11-07 Paddy O’Donnell Ferdy Murphy Norman Williamson 8/1
1996 OCEAN HAWK 4-11-07 Matt Archer/Jean Broadhurst Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/1
1995 SILVER WEDGE 4-11-07 Shirley & Bill Robins Oliver Sherwood Jamie Osborne 7/1
1994 HEBRIDEAN 7-11-07 Peter Deal David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 100/30
1993 SWEET DUKE 6-11-07 Andy Mavrou Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/2
1992 VAGOG 7-11-07 M A Swift Martin Pipe Martin Foster 15/2
1991 Abandoned due to frost
1990 FLOYD 10-11-07 Mike Walsh David Elsworth Graham Bradley 10/1
1989 ROYAL ATHLETE 6-10-08 Gary Johnson Jenny Pitman Dean Gallagher 33/1
1988 FRENCH GOBLIN 5-11-01 Maurice Pinto Josh Gifford Peter Hobbs 3/1
1987 BLUFF COVE 5-10-08 Dickins Ltd Reg Hollinshead Richard Dunwoody 14/1
1986 OUT OF THE GLOOM 5-10-08 Paul Green Reg Hollinshead Peter Scudamore 4/1
1985 MISTY DALE 7-10-08 David Rose Jenny Pitman Phil Tuck 9/4F
1984 KRISTENSON 7-10-08 Ursula Fantasia Roger Fisher Michael Williams 7/2
1983 CRIMSON EMBERS 8-10-11 Pam Smart Fulke Walwyn Stuart Shilston 14/1
1982 MAYOTTE 7-10-11 B Davies Richard Holder Paul Richards 15/8F
1981 Abandoned due to snow
1980 DERRING ROSE 5-11-11 Peter Savill Fred Winter John Francome 7/1
1979 JOHN CHERRY 8-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 6/1
1978 KELSO CHANT 6-11-07 Mrs M Richardson Jumbo Wilkinson Steve Charlton 10/1
1977 JOHN CHERRY 6-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 11/8F
1976 Abandoned due to frost
1975 LANZAROTE 7-12-05 Lord Howard de Walden Fred Winter John Francome 4/9F
1974 GO BINGO 5-11-12 Guy Reed Sam Hall David Munro 9/4
1973 SOLONING 8-11-08 Mrs C Thornton Fred Winter Richard Pitman 9/2
1972 HIGHLAND ABBE 6-11-12 Mrs K Hankey Les Kennard Mr R Smith 11/1
1971 ST PATRICK’S BLUE 6-11-12 P Aunger David Tatlow Bill Smith 7/2F
1970 ROUGE AUTUMN 6-10-05 Bryan Jenks Fred Rimell Ken White 9/2F
1969 CANDID CAMERA 6-10-06 R F P Ross Ted Goddard Joe Guest 100/8
1968 Abandoned due to waterlogging
1967 Abandoned due to foot and mouth epidemic
1966 SIR EDWARD 6-10-09 R Heaton Ryan Price Josh Gifford 7/2F
1965 MINUTE GUN 8-10-04 Bill Shand Kydd Bill Shand Kydd Richard Pitman 100/8
