Coral Long Distance Hurdle
 QuinnBet
Grade 2, Newbury 15:05
£60,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus,
3m 52y, Class 1  
Friday 29th November 2024

%ALT_TXT%%

1 Strong Leader 4/7F
2 Monmiral 11/2
3 Langer Dan 5/1
4 ran Distances: 3½l, 9l, shd
Time: 6m 10.60s (slow by 19.60s)

Strong Leader showcased his stamina and grit to secure a commanding victory. Sent off as the 4/7 favourite, the seven-year-old, a Grade One winner at Aintree in the spring, tracked the front-running Flight Deck throughout the staying contest on Friday.

As the race unfolded, eventual runner-up Monmiral tried to shake things up by making a move two flights from the finish, prompting Strong Leader to dig deep to gain the upper hand. Under the expert guidance of Sean Bowen, Strong Leader found plenty after the last, drawing away to win by three and a half lengths. Langer Dan, on his reappearance, attempted to challenge when the pace quickened but ultimately finished a well-beaten third.

Reflecting on the race, Bowen told ITV Racing, “I wanted a lead because he doesn’t do a whole lot in front but at the same time he’s a strong stayer and I didn’t want to be setting it up for the others. I suppose it was tactical enough but he’s won a shade cosy and got his season off to a good start.”

Winning trainer Olly Murphy expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Today was a stepping stone, albeit I had him fit enough to win. I was delighted with his performance as he jumped very well on the whole. He will improve from today as he doesn’t do anything too flashy. He raced behind the bridle like every good stayer does. I’m looking forward to going to Ascot at Christmas. He has never won right-handed. Is that a concern? I don’t know, but he ran well in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle there last season. He is a very good horse and, until you get to the bottom of him, I don’t know how good he is."

Murphy continued, "He is a very dour stayer, but they didn’t go very quick either. It was a lovely start to the season and we will see what it brings. We will head to the Long Walk then potentially look at the Cleeve to see whether we go for the Stayers’ Hurdle or wait for Aintree. Sometimes in life you have to have a go. Whether we have a go and see how we get on, I don’t know. If I’m going to go for a Stayers’ Hurdle he will have to run in the Cleeve Hurdle first. That is one thing I will put my foot down and do."

"If he goes to Cheltenham he will have to run in the Cleeve, and go very close to winning a Cleeve, to go to Cheltenham for the Stayers’ Hurdle. If he runs in the Cleeve and finishes sort of third and doesn’t act on the track he will be freshened up and go straight to Aintree. I think we will find out in three weeks' time if he is a better horse. Sean (Bowen) said he needed the run, which I’m pleased about. I got it wrong trip-wise with him for a while, but his sectionals over two miles were unbelievable and it sucked me into something I wasn’t seeing at home if that makes sense."

Murphy concluded, "He races lovely for a stayer. He is never a horse that is going to win by 15 lengths with his head in his chest, that is not him. Nonetheless, he is a good horse and I’m over the moon to have him."

Strong Leader’s victory has set the stage for an exciting season ahead, with potential targets including the Long Walk Hurdle, the Cleeve Hurdle, and possibly the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham or a return to Aintree.

QuinnBet

Coral Long Distance Hurdle
£60,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 52y, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Strong Leader 7 11-8 Olly Murphy Sean Bowen 4/7F
2 3½ Monmiral 7 11-6 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 11/2
3 9 Langer Dan 8 11-6 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 5/1
4 shd Flight Deck 10 11-2 Deborah Cole Chris Ward 8/1

%ALT_TXT%%