Long Walk Hurdle 2021 Tips: Ante-Post Preview

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Long Walk Hurdle 2021 Tips: Ante-Post Preview

Another great weekend of jumps racing is in prospect as the National Hunt season swiftly goes up another gear, where Ascot hosts an exciting six-race card on Saturday. Not only can punters wade into several highly-competitive handicaps, such as the Tommy Whittle, the Silver Cup and the Grade Three Betfair Exchange Trophy, but the whole weekend is headlined by the feature race of the day - the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle, a distinctive-looking stayers’ event, run over three-miles at the Berkshire venue and can be viewed on either Sky Sports Racing or ITV Racing at 2.25pm. It is regarded as one of the best races of the season in the stayers’ hurdle division for horses primarily on their way to the Cheltenham Festival as no fewer than six horses have gone on to win both events in the same season with the most recent of those being the Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park, who has won this twice, including last year. 

The most prolific winners in the roll of honour include François Doumen’s dual champion stayer Baracouda, who won it four times between 2000 and 2004, Reve De Sivola, who won it three times in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and of course, the mighty Big Buck’s, who won three renewals in 2009, 2010 and 2011, as well as landing four editions of the Grade One Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. As expected, this year’s field for what is always one of the most anticipated events of the whole jumps’ racing calendar, has appealed to no fewer than eleven participants at the time of writing and has a more open feel to it than some recent runnings, especially with last year’s first and second - Paisley Park and Thyme Hill, looking far from their best when last spotted. The market is headed by Nicky Henderson’s Buzz, who is currently a 7/4 chance, and launched his name into the Stayers’ Hurdle picture when dismantling a good field in the Coral Hurdle here last time and is clearly improving at a rate of knots, given he’d previously won the International Cesarewitch Handicap on the flat and was second in last season’s Aintree Hurdle.  

He has really turned into a quality performer for Seven Barrows and, although this will be his first test over three-miles, his highest-profile wins to date have been characterised by strong finishes, so there’s reason for optimism getting the longer distance and he’s only getting better, too, whereas a feast of the opposition are going the other way and are on a small decline at present. He has reserved his best for the backend of his assignments and his sectionals from each encounter support his positive claims. His excellent victory in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot has been boosted with the runner-up Song For Someone running a huge race in Saturday's International Hurdle at Cheltenham and he can further enhance his credentials as a leading stayers’ hurdle contender with a bold display for connections. The only issue I have, though, is the fact that he’s not yet won at the highest level, though he hasn’t had many opportunities, and he’ll be facing his toughest to date and will need to be a top-class performer to beat this field. He is the right favourite on recent form but looks short enough for one who needs improvement. 

THYME HILL (best price 11-4), trained by Philip Hobbs, who is currently second-favourite, will be looking to avenge for his nose defeat in this race twelve months ago in which Paisley Park produced a late surge to overhaul Philip Hobbs’ charge in the shadows of the post. The seven-year-old, however, still remains one of the leading contenders in the staying hurdle division, having won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last term before coming home just a tad short behind Paisley Park in this race last year. A setback sadly ruled him out of the main attraction on day four of the Cheltenham Festival, but he stamped his class on a competitive field when winning Aintree’s Grade One three-miler, beating Dan Skelton’s Roksana. He made a less than ideal start to the current campaign when only fifth on his seasonal reappearance in the Grand Prix d’Automne at Auteuil but appeared to be glued in the ground, so I wouldn’t read too much into the race. 

Essentially, that preparatory run ought to have blown away the cobwebs for Thyme Hill, who’ll be much more suited to the return to this venue, especially when reflecting on how well he travelled in last year’s affair before getting caught in the final stride. Richard Johnson, who rode him that day, committed him a little sooner than expected and blamed himself for his mount's close-up defeat. He might have a point to prove at present, of course, but even a replica of any of the performances he produced last term, including at Aintree, will see him prove hard to beat so compensation could await him if back to anything near his best with improvement also appearing a distinct possibility too. He’s sure to improve for that comeback run in France, and has to be one of the leading players again. Last year’s winner and former Stayers’ Hurdle champion, Paisley Park, is an 8/1 chance to win the Long Walk Hurdle for a third time in four years. His regular rider Aidan Coleman is suspended but Tom Bellamy will deputise on him for the first time in a bid to equal Big Buck’s and Reve De Sivola’s three victories in the event. 

The application of first-time cheekpieces and positive tactics seemed to backfire last time at Newbury in the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last month, as it saw him do a little too much in front, having travelled well before eventually finishing a distant third. You can make a reference that this course plays more to his strengths and that can’t be disputed given his two victories in this race and he can’t be taken lightly on his best form. If you’d have said he’d have been nearly double-digits in the betting for this race a few months ago, many punters will have thought it was bonkers, but on the flip side of things, he comes with risks attached, primarily the fact that he hasn’t won since winning this a year ago and you have to wonder whether his best days are a thing of the past. 

The one I’m quite interested in, if connections do take up this option, is the sole Irish contender - Ronald Pump, where by my reckoning he should be a fair bit closer to Buzz in the betting and is an 8/1 shot. Mathew Smith’s stable star filled the runner-up spot behind the brilliant mare Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse three weeks ago for the second consecutive year. He was second in last year's Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and ran well to finish third in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle in Ireland following a five-month absence. He would need to improve to win this, but he has a good work ethic about him and, in turn, is actually rated two-pounds higher than Buzz, yet he’s three-times the price of that one, which seems insulting. One might assume that his price reflects in his winless streak for nearly two-years, but he’s chalked up a good string of efforts in defeat and it really does seem only a matter of time before this eight-year-old gets his head in front in a major pot for connections so is likely to command plenty of attention if his participation is confirmed here and I will then back him each-way. He certainly adds more flavour to an interesting renewal and could offer some each-way value. 

He could be joined by two stable companions in the shape of the returning Champ and Newbury second On The Blind Side. Champ looks set to run over hurdles for the time since 2019, who hasn’t been seen since fluffing his lines in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. This former RSA Chase winner rates a fascinating contender if taking his chance, as he’s a real class act on his day and could pose a threat at a general 6/1. On The Blind Side ran his best race for a while when chasing home Thomas Darby last time, but he looks vulnerable on these terms and has work to do to turn around Newbury form with Olly Murphy’s charge, who looks to have been revitalised by connections, in which he was third in the Aintree Stayers’ Hurdle earlier in the year and this former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle third can prove that latest impressive performance wasn't a flash in the pan. 

The continuation of entries for the race at this stage, includes former Stayers’ Hurdle winner - Lisnagar Oscar, who could go well at double-figure odds of 25/1 given his past exploits at the highest level. Rebecca Curtis’ charge had to miss this race last year due to an ‘overreach’ but has slowly worked his way back to form this year, though his latest fifth at Newbury was a shade underwhelming so to speak. It would require a performance similar to his Cheltenham victory to go close and therefore he’s passed over despite having a lingering thought in the back of my mind that he’ll produce a big performance out of nowhere before too long and could reward each-way supporters. 

There are dangers everywhere you turn and you can’t rule any out but the Philip Hobbs-trained THYME HILL (best price 11-4) looks a reasonable bet to go one better than he did last year. All of the trends/history of this event suggests those who have either won or ran well in the race before and are single-figure prices in the betting hold the upper-hand so the selection certainly fits the criteria needed here. He was badly in need of his reappearance in France and the return to UK shores is sure to see him back to his very best, and having already beaten the likes of Thomas Darby and with Buzz needing to prove not only prove himself over three-miles, but also a future Grade One winner, last year’s runner-up, who is rated five-pound higher, has excellent prospects of adding another Grade One to his achievements.