Expert Panel: Weekend Racing including Long Walk Hurdle tips for Ascot

How do you see the Long Walk Hurdle?

David Ord: Impose Toi is the new kid on the block in this division; there’s the Irish interest and the established domestic stars too. The one I’d want to be with at current prices is STRONG LEADER. He was giving Impose Toi six pounds when touched off by him at Newbury last time, that race a speed test that didn’t play to his strengths. He did bomb out in this race last season but goes there in good form this time around and he does have form at the track. French raider Jet Blue is interesting too. Harry Cobden has been snapped up to ride, he ran really well when chasing home Losange Bleu at Auteuil last time and 14/1 might underestimate him.

John Ingles: Crambo is going for the hat-trick but he beat some old-timers in 2023 and was helped by Strong Leader bombing out last year, so he faces a stiffer task this time, especially after trailing home in the Ascot Hurdle on his reappearance. I’d agree that STRONG LEADER looks the more solid option this time, meeting Impose Toi on better terms than when going down to that rival in a tactical race at Newbury, while Gordon Elliott’s Honesty Policy is open to improvement but still looks to have about a stone to find on his first start outside novice company.

Andrew Asquith: I think Crambo will have his work cut out in his pursuit for a third straight win in the race and his reappearance run wasn’t entirely inspiring. Impose Toi has won his last two starts at three miles and is totally unexposed at the trip, but the one in here with the most potential in the Gordon Elliott-trained HONESTY POLICY, and he’d top the shortlist for me. He was a smart novice last season, winning three of his five starts, notably the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree by half a length from the promising Regent’s Stroll. He lost out only to another exciting prospect when last seen at Punchestown and it looks like Gordon Elliott is going to campaign him for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. He has the ability and scope to progress past these rivals.

What’s your view on the staying hurdle division right now?

David Ord: I think this is as strong a field as we could assemble in the UK right now but you have to think when Teahupoo, Ballyburn and Bob Olinger roll into town in March they are going to test Saturday’s field in a way that won’t happen at the weekend. I really liked Ballyburn’s run in the Hatton’s Grace, a time when the Willie Mullins horses are badly needing their first run back. He was a much happier horse over hurdles, and I think he’s the one ready to take the crown.

John Ingles: Of the Long Walk field, Impose Toi is the shortest price in the ante-post lists for the Stayers’ Hurdle at 10/1 in most places, so the leaders in the division are probably elsewhere at present. Teahupoo might have been beaten in last season’s Stayers, but he showed that he remains a leading player after winning the Hatton’s Grace again the other day. Ballyburn ran him very close there but still needs to convince that he truly stays three miles, though that’s something he should get a chance to do at Leopardstown after Christmas.

Andrew Asquith: Ballyburn and Teahupoo look the main two in the division as things stand and you could argue the former should have won when the pair met in the Hatton’s Grace last month. Ballyburn was forced to switch, losing momentum before finishing with a flourish and only narrowly failing to get up on the line. He’s an exuberant horse, though, so whether a stiff three miles at Cheltenham will be within his stamina range remains to be seen. Teahupoo has been there and done it so has the be seen as the front runner for Cheltenham, though racing over the Christmas period and at the Dublin Racing Festival will help clear the landscape.

What else catches your eye at Ascot?

David Ord: The Howden Silver Cup is competitive as you’d expect but DEEP CAVE is my idea of the bet for the Christian Williams team. He was making his first start over fences for them when beating the Doyen Chief on his return at Bangor and only went up four pounds. He was very strong at the finish there and there’s every chance of more progress as he goes up in the grade. Mondo Man is all-the-rage for the Ascot Rotary Club Festive Handicap Hurdle, but I just wonder if Live Conti is being overlooked a little? I think it’s of note that connections are staying over timber with him when a quick switch to chasing looked an option. He clearly represents a very powerful team, has only had two starts in Britain and finished second in admittedly a weak Grade One at Aintree on the second of them. 143 is hefty enough on the evidence of that but he’s completely unexposed and has plenty of talent. It will be interesting to see how he shapes with one eye on the future.

John Ingles: The handicapper has shown a bit of leniency with GENERAL MEDRANO’s mark so he could be interesting in the 13:50. He ran well enough when fourth at Ascot on his reappearance, but hold-up horses were at a disadvantage in the race he ran in at Newbury last time so that run can be overlooked. His usual rider Ben Jones is committed to Ben Pauling’s runner Bad, so he’ll have the assistance of Sean Bowen for the first time.

Andrew Asquith: Victtorino is chasing a third straight win in the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot and should be much happier back at his favoured course, but I put DEEP CAVE up in my Weekend View column earlier in the week and I think he looks very interesting. He took time to come to hand last season after joining Christian Williams, but he landed a big-field handicap hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, and looked very good when beating The Doyen Chief on his return and first start over fences for this yard at Bangor. Deep Cave picked up the pieces in grand fashion that day, coming through late with a strong run, and with a fair bit of pace in this field, he should get a similar scenario. He remains relatively unexposed as a chaser, while he represents a yard who excel with such types, so he can go well from 4lb higher.

And the winner of the Betfred Tommy Whittle at Haydock is...?

David Ord: I almost wish I had a pass available. My Silver Lining ran better at Ascot last time but without the zip that epitomised her when she was at her peak and I think I’m prepared to give FAMOUS BRIDGE another chance. He loves it here, won this race in 2023 and finished third from a two pounds higher mark last term. He shaped better than the finishing position suggests last time, the race ultimately an inadequate stamina test for him before he was eased on the run-in having lost his action. Clearly all has been well with him since, he’s back to the rating from which he won the 2023 renewal and we know this test, on this ground, is right up his street.

John Ingles: Last year’s runner-up Jack’s Parrot can go well again off the same mark as last year having had a pipe-opener over hurdles last month but it could be worth taking a chance on one of the Irish runners O’TOOLE. He doesn’t seem to have been the easiest for Stuart Crawford to train but that gives him a very unexposed profile over fences, particularly at this trip. He showed he appreciates soft ground and a test of stamina when winning over hurdles at Ayr on his only appearance last season, and an encouraging second over a shorter trip at Cork last month could have set him up nicely for this.

Andrew Asquith: SALADINS SON is another I put up at the start of the week and I think he should go very well now back on more testing ground. He’s made a positive start for Anthony Honeyball, winning three of his five starts, and he shaped well on his return over this course and distance when runner-up to a capable yet quirky sort who was on a going day. That rival set steady fractions in front and was able to quicken up better than his rivals in the straight, while Saldinis Son stuck to his task well on ground which would have likely been on the fast side for him. Conditions will be much more to his liking on Saturday and he looks a well-handicapped horse to me.

Published at 14:45 GMT on 18/12/25

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