Ben Linfoot looks into the Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle with the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle division in mind.
The current state of play in the Stayers’ division
Let’s start with the Irish.
They’ve won the last five Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdles thanks to Flooring Porter (twice), Sire Du Berlais, Teahupoo and Bob Olinger. That’s two for Gavin Cromwell, two for Gordon Elliott and one for Henry de Bromhead.
A recent news line suggests Flooring Porter could be back for more next March at the age of 11, but the Cheltenham race’s two most recent winners, Teahupoo and Bob Olinger, both owned by Robcour, are the standard bearers in the division.
Neither of them are the antepost favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle, though.
Ballyburn takes that mantle after finishing a nose second to Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace over 2m4f on his reappearance. Willie Mullins’ horse looked happier returned to hurdles after a season novice chasing, so you can see why the market has latched onto him, for all that he still needs to prove himself over three miles.
Ireland hold plenty of the cards once again and Gordon Elliott could strengthen his own hand with the five-year-old Honesty Policy if he takes up his five-day entry in Saturday’s Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle.
Owner JP McManus has Impose Toi in there as well, though, trained by Nicky Henderson, and he’s the one bright young thing that sticks out amongst Britain’s wannabees in the Stayers’ Hurdle market.
Crambo. And the record of Long Walk winners in the Stayers’
The Long Walk Hurdle has a rich history and is a prestigious race in its own right, but given it is the only Grade 1 in the UK for staying hurdlers prior to the Cheltenham Festival it is an obvious stepping stone to March.
This century seven Ascot winners have done the Long Walk-Stayers’ Hurdle double in the same season; Baracouda, My Way De Solzen, Big Buck’s (x3), Thistlecrack and Paisley Park.
It is a race that attracts specialists, too, with Baracouda winning it four times, Big Buck’s three times, Reve De Sivola three times, Paisley Park three times and Crambo, back for more this year, twice.
Crambo is a little more Reve De Sivola than he is the others, as he has never looked like winning a Stayers’ Hurdle but both have relished the Long Walk test at Ascot at Christmas.
He’s an 8/1 chance in the antepost book for Saturday having barely raised a leg since he won this race 12 months ago. A 48-length last at this track over the extended 2m3f behind Elliott’s Wodhooh in the Ascot Hurdle last time hardly hinted at an imminent revival, either.
You couldn’t really have him on your mind for a Stayers’ Hurdle – he’s 100/1 for Cheltenham – but given his record in this race you wouldn’t rule out another Crambo’s Chrimbo, for all that just about every other horse in the race comes into this in better form.
JP’s Long Walks and this year’s team
Baracouda (x4), Unowhatimeanharry and Champ have won JP McManus six Long Walk Hurdles over the years with only the first-named going onto success in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Francois Doumen’s horse dominated the staying scene after the turn of the century and he would’ve won five Long Walks but for AP McCoy and Deano’s Beeno, who made all in a memorable renewal back in 2002.
McCoy was to make amends on the French-trained horse for McManus in the twilight of the horse’s career and the green and gold was most recently carried to victory by Jonjo O’Neill Jr who steered Champ home from Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in 2021.
This year McManus dominates the market with his Honesty Policy and Impose Toi vying for favouritism. Could he run both? Maybe he will, as it looks the perfect next step for both horses, while Elliott showed 12 months ago with The Wallpark that he’s happy to travel over to the UK at this time of year.
And for all that Crambo brings a race specialist element to the party, if this race is to throw up a major player in the Stayers’ Hurdle this season he’s likely to be carrying McManus’ colours.
Honesty Policy is an unknown quantity, rated 155p by Timeform, bottom of their ratings but the only horse in the field with the ‘p’ for potential improvement.
That just about sums him up, a Grade 1 runner-up on his final start as a novice behind Jasmin De Vaux at the Punchestown Festival, he’s massively unexposed at the trip having run just once over three miles under Rules.
Whether he’s a bet at 3/1 to win an open Grade 1 first time back after 234 days off is another matter and perhaps owner-mate Impose Toi is the more appealing of the two McManus at the top of the market.
Henderson’s horse was beaten a neck by stablemate Luccia at this meeting in the premier 2m handicap hurdle that closes the card back in 2023 but the son of It’s Gino has taken a step forward this campaign stepping up to three miles.
He beat Strong Leader quite snugly under a good ride from Nico de Boinville in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and is worse off with that rival to the tune of 6lb on Saturday, but staying looks his game and this weekend’s Long Walk gives him the chance to prove himself a new force amongst the elite three-mile hurdlers.
Could anyone else put their hand up for Cheltenham?
The aforementioned Strong Leader isn’t even in the Stayers’ Hurdle betting such is his poor record at Cheltenham and Olly Murphy will likely work back from Aintree with him again after his first and second in the Liverpool Hurdle the last two seasons.
It’s likely we know the older horses amongst the bigger prices in Saturday’s market aren’t good enough to land a Stayers’ Hurdle blow and that leaves two six-year-olds in Jet Blue and Potters Charm who have the potential to improve.
French raider Jet Blue, trained by David Cottin, has triumphed in the UK before at Cheltenham’s Christmas Meeting a year ago in novice company, while he wasn’t at his best in ninth when sent off 5/1 for the Albert Bartlett.
Second in Grade 1 company at Auteuil last time, he’ll appreciate every drop of Thursday’s forecast rain and Harry Cobden has been booked for Saturday’s assignment.
Potters Charm is arguably even more interesting after bouncing back to form in third at this track over 2m3f behind Wodhooh last time.
He might just get the benefit of the run of the race if stablemate Beauport tows him into the contest and he couldn’t be anymore unexposed over three miles after falling on his only go at the trip under Rules at Wetherby on his reappearance.
Plenty will be revealed in the Long Walk. As is so often the case, the first top staying hurdling prize of the season is likely to answer lots of questions in a division that remains there for the taking.
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