2023 Long Walk Hurdle Tips

Champ has registered a number of notable victories during a long and illustrious career, although there could still be more to come from the Nicky Henderson-trained runner when he lines up in the Long Walk Hurdle. The eleven-year-old returns to the track after finishing fifth out of ten horses at Aintree Racecourse back in April.

Previously to this, Champ was only third in the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, with Paisley Park emerging as the winner on that occasion. The latter has been a legendary performer over the years, with Emma Lavelle hoping that there’s still enough class at Ascot Racecourse, with the ground likely to be testing after the heavy rainfall.

Most recently, the horse was second at Newbury to Dashel Drasher and the latter will line up here, although perhaps Paisley Park will come on for the run. Much depends on whether West Balboa is as progressive as many people expect, with Dan Skelton saddling a runner who has achieved a consecutive hat-trick of recent victories.

Sent off as the 8/11 favourite in a recent hurdle race over two miles and four furlongs, the runner was able to register a margin of victory by twelve lengths although there were only two horses to beat. There was more to like about a hurdle victory at Aintree back in April where the 9/2 favourite achieved a five-length win.

2022 Long Walk Hurdle Tips

We’re excited about the 2022 Long Walk Hurdle where we’ll see two former winners of the race lining up. Twelve months ago, Champ was able to land a maiden victory in this race and the JP McManus-owned horse opened the season with a victory in the Long Distance Hurdle, with thoughts also turning to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Champ could only finish fourth at the meeting last March although appears to be in fine fettle at the age of ten. There was plenty to like about the way in which the horse travelled at Newbury, with Champ making the running and jumping well before being able to fend off Paisley Park in the run-in.

As for Paisley Park, the bookies are showing the horse plenty of respect and there were victories in 2018 and 2020 for a runner who could yet have some more in the tank. Just a neck prevented him from winning a few weeks ago, with punters knowing that the horse will be kept tanking along and primed for a late finish.

This is far from a two-horse race and Miranda was the fairly comfortable winner of a Mares’ Hurdle last time out, with Paul Nicholls now directing his seven-year-old at this race where she will be in receipt of an allowance against her male contenders. It’s also interesting to see Goshen lining up and Gary Moore will hope for some joy over the long distance with this talented horse.

2021 Long Walk Hurdle Betting Tips

The Long Walk Hurdle is one of the biggest three mile staying races on the National Hunt calendar, with some of the leading contenders battling it out for the big prize and this season’s winner banks a cool £60,000.

There are some well-known horses who will look to claim the honours at Ascot before the trainers set sight on competing in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, with Buzz and Thyme Hill among the leading contenders for the former encounter.

Can Buzz Live Up to the Hype at Ascot?

Buzz is certainly Nicky Henderson’s main hope of winning the Long Walk Hurdle, with the seven-year-old having won the Coral Hurdle on 20 November. The horse was the even money favourite when obliging against horses such as Song For Someone, Guard Your Dreams and Goshen.

Previously to this, there was an 8/1 triumph in the Together For Racing International Cesarewitch Handicap and the horse ran a blinder at bigger odds of 22/1 in the Aintree Hurdle which suggests that there’s every chance that he will be in the shake-up here.

Thyme Hill Looking To Go One Better

Thyme Hill signed off last season by winning the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle and that 5/2 success demonstrated that he was still among the top-class performers over three miles. In the Long Walk Hurdle last term, it was a close-run thing against Paisley Park before the Philip Hobbs-trained horse lost by a neck.

However, there was a disappointing fifth place at Auteuil when running in the Grand Prix d'Automne and that probably explains why the bookies are happy to take on this charge when it comes to this encounter.

Could Champ and Ronald Pump Be in the Reckoning?

Champ is another Henderson contender who has to be respected, with the nine-year-old having previously gone over the bigger obstacles. He actually ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup back in March before being pulled up, with connections making the decision to put him back over hurdles.

We know that the runner has stamina in abundance and it was only two seasons when the horse produced fireworks up the Cheltenham hill to win the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase, with Henderson hopeful of a big run here.

Ronald Pump recently ran in the Hattons Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse and there was plenty to like about his second placed finish before the champion hurdler that is Honeysuckle. Sent off at 22/1 for this clash over two miles and four furlongs, trainer Matthew J Smith will be highly encouraged by this performance.

2020 Long Walk Hurdle Betting Tips

We recently saw a fantastic race take place at Newbury Racecourse when the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle was run, with Thyme Hill claiming the spoils at a starting price of 7/2, with Paisley Park and McFabulous beaten into second and third place on good ground.

Will Thyme Hill Become the New King of Long Distance Hurdling?

Thyme Hill ran a blinder at Newbury and is now trading as betting favourite with some bookies to win the Long Walk Hurdle and really stake his claim when it comes to winning the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next March, with Philip Hobbs having a real contender over this distance.

The six-year-old ran in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in March and only managed to finish fourth, with Monkfish, Latest Exhibition and Fury Road the horses that managed to beat him, although he now appears to be prospering over a longer distance.

It’s worth noting that the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle was a tactical race which played into the hands of the horse, with others in the field looking to topple him this time around.

Paisley Park Bidding to Go One Better and Reclaim Crown

Paisley Park remains one of the leading stayers when it comes to the UK and Irish National Hunt scene, with the eight-year-old having run below-par in the Stayers Hurdle back in March although connections were delighted by his performance in the recent Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle when finishing second.

Indeed, the Emma Lavelle-trained charge clearly benefitted from an outing and the defeat was by the fairly narrow margin of 1.5 lengths, with the horse demonstrating that he’s still a contender to win the 2021 Stayers’ Hurdle.

Can Sire Du Berlais or Fury Road Make an Impact?

Sire Du Berlais will be making an appearance at this Ascot spectacular bidding to win a third consecutive race after the Gordon Elliott-trained charge claimed a victory in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival before winning the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and this was a Grade 2 encounter where some serious contenders were beaten.

The horse has to be on the betting shortlist to win this clash, while Fury Road has already had the beating of Thyme Hill once before and there’s a reasonable chance that Gordon Elliott could have a decent contender running in the Gigginstown colours, with the horse enjoying a straightforward victory at Punchestown in the middle of November.