This Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot is the big horse race of the weekend and the last main race before Santa comes down all our chimneys.
So, here at Bettingsites.co.uk we thought we’d look at the main runners and also give you our best 1-2-3 Long Walk Hurdle tips to take into the Grade One hurdle race that also provides many clues ahead of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
You can also see our King George VI Chase betting tips and preview ahead of the big Boxing Day feature.
The Last Three Long Walk Hurdle Winners Are Back Again
The top UK betting sites have installed the Dan Skelton-trained West Balboa and the Fergal O’Brien runner Crambo as the two at the head of the Long Walk Hurdle betting and with both improving young staying hurdlers it’s easy to see why.
West Balboa has won four of her six career starts and impressed on her return at Aintree last month with a 12-length win and will get a handy 7lbs mares’ allowance here. Crambo also won well at Aintree earlier this season and was far from disgraced at Haydock last time (3rd) in the Grade Three Betfair Handicap Hurdle.
However, despite not being spring chickens it’s hard to ignore the fact we’ve got the last three Long Walk Hurdle winners in the race in Champ (1 win) and Paisley Park (2 wins).
While, in fact, Paisley Park also won the race in 2018, so we’ve actually got four of the last five winners back for more.
Champ Has A Great Record Fresh
Champ, who is now 11, won the 2021 running and was third last year when the race was run at Kempton and despite being well beaten in the Liverpool Hurdle last April has been freshened up with 252-days off.
The good news for his backers is this Nicky Henderson horse goes well off a break of more than 200+ days, including when winning this race in 2021 after being off the track for 274-days.
The other recent winner of the race – Paisley Park – is also 11 and, in what is likely to be his last season, will be hoping to go out on a high. He returned earlier this month to run a close second in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and that run showed he retains plenty of his ability and enthusiasm for the game.
We know this race suits, being a three-time past winner and that last race off 260-days off would have put him spot-on for this.
Both Champ and Paisley Park will be looking to become the oldest winners of the race since the contest became a conditions event in 1971.
Past Long Walk Hurdle Winners Have a Decent Record
In recent years, the Ascot Long Walk Hurdle has also produced many repeat winners, which is great news if you fancy Champ and Paisley Park again.
Since 2000, the race has seen nine winners that had already won the prize.
Trainer Paul Nicholls Has Won The Long Walk Hurdle Three Times
Of the rest, the Paul Nicholls yard mopped up three Long Walk Hurdles with mighty Big Buck’s between 2009 and 2011.
The champion trainer will be hoping to add to that record in 2023 with two entries – Red Risk and Blueking D’Oroux.
Both have a bit to find on the ratings now upped into a Grade One, but Blueking D’Oroux is a fast-improving hurdler that has won three of this last four and looks cracking each-way value in the race.
While Red Risk travelled well into the race last time out Wetherby to just run out of petrol and should have benefitted from that run.
Back Blueking D’Oroux at 12/1 with BetMGM
Back Red Risk at 20/1 with BetMGM
Since 1971 Six Long Walk Winners Have Won The Stayers’ Hurdle In The Same Season
As mentioned, this Saturday’s Ascot Long Walk Hurdle is also a good guide towards the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Since 1971 we’ve seen six horses go onto win the Stayers’ Hurdle – Derring Rose, Baracouda, My Way De Solzen, Big Buck’s (3 times), Thistlecrack and Paisley Park.
Long Walk Hurdle Tips 1-2-3: Three Time Winner Paisley Park To Bow Out On High
Yes, both Champ and Paisley Park have a big age stat to defy as we’ve only seen two winners aged in double-figures since 1992. However, one of those was PAISLEY PARK last year.
As mentioned, Paisley Park has also won this race three times over the years (2018, 2020 and 2022) and despite his advancing years showed last time out at Newbury, when a close second in the Long Distance Hurdle, he retains his ability.
That race came off a 260-day break and he also came with his famous late charge to only just be denied by Dashel Drasher. We can expect another close-run thing between the pair, and Champ again but the stiffer Ascot track will be right up Paisley Park’s street with his track form at the Berkshire track reading 1-1-3.
Back Paisley Park at 5/1 with BetMGM
- PAISLEY PARK
- Champ
- Blueking D’Oroux
DID YOU KNOW? Paisley Park is named after the singer Prince’s home studio
Long Walk Hurdle Race Info 2023
📅Date: Saturday 23rd December 2023
🕙Time: 2:25pm
🏇Racecourse: Ascot (3m 1/2f)
💰 Winner: £62,645
📺 TV: ITV4 / Sky Sports Racing
Long Walk Hurdle Betting Odds
See here the latest 2023 Long Walk betting odds from BetMGM.
- West Balboa 5/2
- Crambo 11/4
- Champ 9/2
- Paisley Park 6/1
- Botox Has 7/1
- Dashel Drasher 8/1
- Blueking D’Oroux 14/1
- Red Risk 25/1
- Gowel Road 33/1
- Goshen 66/1
Note: Odds are subject
Past Winners (Last 5 Renewals)
- 2022 – PAISLEY PARK (9/2)
- 2021 – CHAMP (4/1)
- 2020 – PAISLEY PARK (9/4)
- 2019 – THE WORLDS END (15/8 fav)
- 2018 – PAISLEY PARK (8/1)
WATCH: Paisley Park Winning The 2022 Long Walk Hurdle
