The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt race run at Ascot in December and one of the most important staying hurdles of the British jumps season. Contested over approximately three miles, it brings together established stayers and progressive horses seeking to establish themselves among the leading Stayers’ Hurdle contenders.
Stamina is fundamental, but the Long Walk Hurdle is rarely as simple as identifying the horse capable of staying furthest. Ascot is a galloping, right-handed course with a demanding finish, while winter ground can substantially increase the physical demands of the race. The strongest Long Walk horses have combined stamina with efficient jumping, the ability to settle and enough tactical speed to respond when the race begins to develop.
The roll of honour reflects that standard. Baracouda won the race four times, Big Buck’s completed a hat-trick, Reve De Sivola won three consecutive renewals and Paisley Park became another three-time winner. Several Long Walk champions have subsequently won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in the same season, making Ascot an important part of the staying hurdle programme.
Long Walk Hurdle Key Facts
- Racecourse: Ascot
- Race type: National Hunt hurdle
- Grade: Grade 1
- Distance: Approximately three miles
- Obstacles: 12 hurdles
- Age: Four years and older
- Usual month: December
- First running: 1965
- Grade 1 since: 1990
- Main championship target: Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham
The precise distance, sponsorship, prize money and race time can change between renewals, so those details should be checked against the current race conditions.
Our Ascot Racecourse guide covers the Berkshire course, its layout and its major Flat and jumps races.
When Is the Long Walk Hurdle?
The Long Walk Hurdle is normally staged at Ascot in December, placing it around the middle of the British National Hunt season and approximately three months before the Cheltenham Festival.
That position in the calendar is important. Leading staying hurdlers have normally had the opportunity to make their seasonal return before Ascot, while there remains enough time afterwards to run again before Cheltenham. The Long Walk therefore provides a serious championship test without forcing trainers to make it the final preparation for the Festival.
Winter weather has occasionally disrupted the race. Some editions have been transferred away from Ascot when conditions made the original fixture impossible, including renewals staged at Newbury and Kempton. Ascot remains the permanent home of the Long Walk Hurdle.
Why Is the Long Walk Hurdle Important?
The Long Walk Hurdle sits among the defining races of the British staying hurdle season. Its Grade 1 status means the leading horses can meet at level or near-level weights rather than competing under handicap conditions, making it an important test of championship ability.
The race also arrives at a useful point in the season. The Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury can provide an earlier indication of the strength of the staying division, while the Long Walk allows that form to develop against a different course and under potentially different ground conditions.
After Ascot, attention increasingly turns towards Cheltenham. The Cleeve Hurdle provides another major staying test in January before the Stayers’ Hurdle becomes the championship target in March.
The result at Ascot can therefore reshape the staying division without settling it. A dominant Long Walk winner may emerge as a leading Cheltenham contender, but differences between the two racecourses mean Ascot form still needs to be interpreted rather than transferred directly to the Festival.
The Long Walk Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle
The connection between the Long Walk and the Stayers’ Hurdle is central to the race’s importance. Derring Rose, Baracouda, My Way De Solzen, Big Buck’s, Thistlecrack and Paisley Park are among the horses to win at Ascot before going on to take the Cheltenham championship in the same season.
That record demonstrates the quality of horse capable of succeeding in both races, but the two contests do not present identical tests. Ascot is right-handed and galloping, whereas Cheltenham’s New Course introduces different gradients, turns and tactical demands. A horse that travels comfortably around Ascot may therefore face a different challenge at the Festival.
Ground can widen that difference further. A Long Walk staged on very soft winter ground may place a greater premium on relentless stamina, while the Stayers’ Hurdle can be run on a sounder surface that brings tactical speed more strongly into play.
The Long Walk should consequently be treated as important championship evidence rather than an automatic predictor of Cheltenham. The best horses have proved capable of adapting to both tests.
Ascot Makes Stamina Count
Ascot’s jumps course is right-handed and galloping, with a stiff finish that can expose horses whose stamina has already been stretched during the earlier stages of a race.
Over approximately three miles, efficiency matters. A horse that races too freely during the first circuit can use energy it needs later, particularly when the ground is soft. Repeated jumping errors can have a similar cumulative effect, even when no individual mistake appears serious enough to decide the race.
This helps explain why proven staying form deserves considerable weight. A horse moving up significantly in distance may possess enough raw ability to compete, but Ascot provides a demanding environment in which to prove its stamina for the first time.
Previous course experience can also be informative. Some horses handle Ascot particularly well because they settle into a rhythm around the wide course and retain enough energy for the closing stages. Reve De Sivola became one of the clearest examples, repeatedly producing outstanding performances in the Long Walk.
Winter Ground Can Transform the Race
The Long Walk takes place at a time of year when rain, frost and changing winter conditions can substantially affect Ascot. Ground therefore needs to be analysed for the individual renewal rather than assumed from the race’s history.
Soft ground increases the energy required to travel three miles and can turn the closing stages into a severe stamina examination. Horses comfortable on testing surfaces can continue to operate efficiently while others struggle to maintain their position long before the finish.
Reve De Sivola’s record illustrates how important those conditions can become. He won three consecutive Long Walks between 2012 and 2014 and was particularly effective when the ground placed a strong emphasis on stamina.
The opposite is also true. Sounder ground can increase the importance of tactical speed, allowing a horse with a strong turn of foot to remain competitive against rivals with greater proven stamina.
Our horse racing going guide explains why ground conditions affect horses differently and how to incorporate the going into race analysis.
Pace Matters in Staying Hurdles
Three-mile hurdle races are sometimes treated as straightforward tests of stamina, but pace can completely alter their character.
A strong gallop from the early stages forces horses to use their stamina throughout the race. It can expose runners that are stepping up in distance and make jumping under fatigue increasingly important during the closing stages.
A slowly run race creates a different challenge. Horses can conserve energy before the tempo increases late, placing greater emphasis on acceleration and tactical position. A proven stayer can consequently find itself vulnerable to a horse with more natural speed if the race never becomes a genuine endurance test.
Front-runners also need to be assessed carefully. An uncontested leader may settle into a comfortable rhythm, while several horses competing for the same position can create a much more demanding race.
The likely pace should therefore form part of Long Walk analysis once the final runners are known. It provides far more useful information than simply assuming every three-mile hurdle will favour the horse with the greatest stamina.
Jumping Efficiency Is Easy to Underestimate
Hurdles are less substantial obstacles than fences, but jumping still matters considerably over three miles.
A horse that loses a small amount of ground at several hurdles can expend additional energy repeatedly recovering its position. Those inefficiencies become increasingly costly as fatigue develops, particularly when the ground is testing.
Fluent hurdlers gain ground without appearing to make an obvious move. They can maintain their rhythm while rivals are being asked to recover after mistakes, allowing their jockeys to save energy for the decisive part of the race.
Recent form figures do not always show this clearly. A horse can finish close to a rival despite jumping poorly, suggesting it may be capable of improving if its technique is cleaner next time. Equally, repeated mistakes can be a genuine weakness rather than simple bad luck.
Our horse racing form guide explains why National Hunt form needs to be read in the context of jumping, distance, ground and how the race developed.
The Long Distance Hurdle Is an Important Form Route
The Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury is one of the natural earlier-season races for established stayers heading towards Ascot.
The two races occupy useful positions in the calendar and are run over broadly similar distances, but the courses provide different tests. That makes the Newbury result valuable without making it definitive.
A horse beaten at Newbury can reverse the form at Ascot if the ground, pace or course configuration suits it better. Fitness can also matter because some leading stayers use their first major race of the season to build towards later targets.
Big Buck’s demonstrated the strength of the route during his dominant years, while other leading stayers have also competed in both races.
Rather than applying a historical statistic about how many Long Walk winners previously ran at Newbury, examine what actually happened in the latest Long Distance Hurdle. The quality of the performance and the reasons behind the result matter more than simply appearing in the race.
The Cleeve Hurdle Comes Later in the Season
The Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham is another major race in the staying hurdle programme, normally taking place after the Long Walk.
Its value is increased by being staged over approximately three miles on Cheltenham’s New Course, making it a particularly relevant preparation for the Stayers’ Hurdle. Long Walk runners can therefore move from Ascot to Cheltenham and gain experience under Festival-style course conditions before returning in March.
Some leading stayers have won both races during the same campaign, but the route should not be treated as compulsory. Trainers have different preferences, while ground conditions, fitness and the demands of earlier races can influence whether a horse runs again before the Festival.
For race analysis, the Cleeve is useful because it adds another piece of evidence. A horse that performs strongly at both Ascot and Cheltenham has demonstrated greater versatility than one whose best form is concentrated at a single course.
Long Walk Hurdle History
The Long Walk Hurdle was first run in 1965 and began life as a handicap. It became a conditions race in 1971 before being promoted to Grade 1 status in 1990.
Its name comes from the Long Walk at Windsor Great Park, the famous tree-lined avenue leading towards Windsor Castle. Ascot’s proximity to Windsor gives the race a strong local connection as well as its place within the National Hunt calendar.
The race has not always taken place at Ascot. The course’s redevelopment required alternative venues during the mid-2000s, while weather has also forced occasional transfers. The 2004 edition took place at Windsor, the 2005 race was staged at Chepstow, and Newbury hosted the contest in 2009 and 2010 after snow affected Ascot. The 2022 running was transferred to Kempton after the original fixture was lost to frozen ground.
Those exceptions form part of the race’s history, but modern Long Walk analysis should primarily consider the demands of Ascot, its permanent home.
Baracouda Holds the Long Walk Record
Baracouda won the Long Walk Hurdle four times, giving François Doumen’s outstanding stayer the race record.
His victories came in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004, with only Deano’s Beeno interrupting the sequence in 2002. The final victory came away from Ascot at Windsor while Ascot was closed for redevelopment.
Baracouda was far more than a specialist in one race. He also won the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham twice and developed into one of the defining staying hurdlers of his era.
His Long Walk record demonstrates the value of consistency in this division. Staying hurdlers can remain competitive at the highest level for several seasons, allowing exceptional horses to build records that are less common in divisions dominated by younger, rapidly improving runners.
Big Buck’s Dominated the Race
Big Buck’s won three consecutive Long Walk Hurdles from 2009 to 2011 during one of the most dominant periods ever produced by a staying hurdler.
The first two victories were staged at Newbury because Ascot’s meetings were lost to the weather, before Big Buck’s returned to Ascot and won again in 2011. By that point, he had established an extraordinary winning sequence and was the outstanding staying hurdler in Britain and Ireland.
His achievements extended across the entire division. Big Buck’s won four consecutive Stayers’ Hurdles at Cheltenham and repeatedly succeeded at Aintree and Newbury, combining stamina with a level of class that made him exceptionally difficult to defeat.
The Long Walk formed an important part of that dominance. His record also reinforces why the race should be assessed in the context of the wider staying season rather than as an isolated December contest.
Reve De Sivola Loved the Long Walk
Reve De Sivola followed Big Buck’s by winning three consecutive Long Walk Hurdles between 2012 and 2014.
Nick Williams’ gelding developed a particularly strong relationship with Ascot and was highly effective when winter ground made races demanding. His first Long Walk success came by a wide margin, while subsequent victories required different qualities as rivals attempted to challenge his dominance.
Unlike Big Buck’s, Reve De Sivola did not go on to win the Stayers’ Hurdle. That distinction is important because it demonstrates how course and conditions can influence even the best staying horses.
A horse can be exceptionally well suited to Ascot without being equally effective at Cheltenham. Reve De Sivola’s record therefore provides one of the strongest arguments against treating the Long Walk simply as a mechanical Festival trial.
Paisley Park Became a Three-Time Winner
Paisley Park joined Big Buck’s and Reve De Sivola as a three-time Long Walk winner through victories in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
His first success formed part of a remarkable campaign in which he progressed through the staying hurdle division before winning the Cleeve Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle. He returned to win the Long Walk again two years later and, at the age of ten, added a third victory in 2022 when the race was transferred to Kempton.
Paisley Park’s longevity made him one of the most popular staying hurdlers of his generation. His performances also demonstrated that age alone is a poor basis for assessing this race.
Established stayers can remain competitive for several seasons if they retain their enthusiasm and ability. Current form, physical condition and suitability for the race provide much stronger evidence than an arbitrary preferred age range.
Crambo Won Back-to-Back Long Walk Hurdles
Crambo added his name to the list of multiple winners by taking consecutive renewals in 2023 and 2024 for trainer Fergal O’Brien and jockey Jonathan Burke.
Back-to-back victories are significant in a race with such a strong tradition of repeat winners. Baracouda, Big Buck’s, Reve De Sivola and Paisley Park had already shown that horses particularly suited to the demands of the Long Walk can return successfully in later seasons.
That does not mean previous winners should be followed automatically. Their current condition still needs to be assessed against improving rivals and changing race circumstances.
What the record does demonstrate is that proven ability under Long Walk conditions carries genuine relevance. Unlike a statistical coincidence based on starting prices or ages, course, distance and race suitability have a clear racing explanation behind them.
Impose Toi Won in 2025
Impose Toi won the 2025 Long Walk Hurdle for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville, ending Crambo’s attempt to complete a hat-trick.
The victory added another Grade 1 winner to a roll of honour already filled with leading stayers. It also continued the pattern of the Long Walk attracting horses capable of producing high-level form well beyond the early stages of their careers.
For an evergreen race guide, the value of the result is primarily historical. Future renewals should be assessed on their own runners, form, ground and tactical circumstances rather than attempting to make the latest winner fit a predetermined trend.
The previous winners list should continue to be updated after each renewal while the main analysis on this page remains relevant from season to season.
Recent Long Walk Hurdle Winners
- 2025: Impose Toi, trained by Nicky Henderson
- 2024: Crambo, trained by Fergal O’Brien
- 2023: Crambo, trained by Fergal O’Brien
- 2022: Paisley Park, trained by Emma Lavelle
- 2021: Champ, trained by Nicky Henderson
- 2020: Paisley Park, trained by Emma Lavelle
- 2019: The Worlds End, trained by Tom George
- 2018: Paisley Park, trained by Emma Lavelle
- 2017: Sam Spinner, trained by Jedd O’Keeffe
- 2016: Unowhatimeanharry, trained by Harry Fry
- 2015: Thistlecrack, trained by Colin Tizzard
- 2014: Reve De Sivola, trained by Nick Williams
- 2013: Reve De Sivola, trained by Nick Williams
- 2012: Reve De Sivola, trained by Nick Williams
- 2011: Big Buck’s, trained by Paul Nicholls
- 2010: Big Buck’s, trained by Paul Nicholls
- 2009: Big Buck’s, trained by Paul Nicholls
The sequence contains several repeat winners, but that should be understood through the characteristics of staying hurdlers rather than converted into a betting system. Top stayers often compete for several seasons, while horses proven over three miles and suited by Ascot can repeatedly return to the same Grade 1.
Leading Long Walk Hurdle Trainers
François Doumen holds the training record through Baracouda’s four victories. His dominance around the beginning of the century remains unmatched by an individual trainer-horse combination in the race.
Paul Nicholls won three consecutive editions with Big Buck’s, while Nick Williams achieved the same feat with Reve De Sivola. Emma Lavelle later trained Paisley Park to three victories spread across five seasons.
The range of successful trainers demonstrates that no single stable holds a structural advantage in the race. Trainer records are useful historical context, but the current horse and its suitability for the conditions should remain the starting point for analysis.
Nicky Henderson has also enjoyed multiple Long Walk victories, including Champ in 2021 and Impose Toi in 2025.
Leading Long Walk Hurdle Jockeys
Richard Johnson rode four Long Walk Hurdle winners, scoring on Anzum in 1999, Mighty Man in 2006 and Reve De Sivola in 2012 and 2013.
Aidan Coleman developed a particularly strong association with Paisley Park and rode him to each of his three Long Walk victories. Ruby Walsh partnered Big Buck’s for two of his three wins, while Tony McCoy rode the horse to the other during the period in which the champion stayer dominated the division.
Jockey experience can matter over three miles because conserving energy and judging pace are particularly important. Even so, the horse’s ability remains the central factor, and historical jockey records should not be used as standalone predictors of future winners.
What Makes a Long Walk Hurdle Winner?
The Long Walk rewards horses capable of combining several attributes rather than relying on one exceptional strength.
Proven stamina is an obvious advantage, particularly when Ascot is soft, but the horse must also settle well enough to conserve that stamina. Jumping needs to remain efficient throughout the race, while tactical speed becomes increasingly important if the early pace is steady.
Relevant qualities include:
- Proven stamina around three miles
- Efficient hurdling
- Ability to settle
- Current high-level form
- Suitability for the ground
- Ability to maintain form through a strongly run race
- Tactical speed
- Experience against established stayers
- Course suitability
- Fitness for a demanding mid-season Grade 1
These factors have a racing explanation behind them. They are therefore more useful than rules based solely on the ages, starting prices or official ratings of a small sample of previous winners.
How to Analyse the Long Walk Hurdle
Start with current staying form. Examine what each horse has achieved over approximately three miles and, just as importantly, how those performances were produced.
A horse finishing behind a rival after racing too freely may be capable of reversing the form if it settles better. Another may have finished close despite making several jumping errors, while a third could have benefited from controlling a slowly run race from the front.
Next consider Ascot. The course, likely going and expected pace should all influence how previous form is interpreted. A performance produced on good ground around a sharper track may not translate directly to three miles at Ascot in deep winter conditions.
Fitness deserves attention as well. Some established stayers arrive at the Long Walk after an earlier seasonal run, while others may still be building towards later targets. The significance of that preparation depends on the individual horse rather than a fixed rule about how recently the winner should have raced.
Our horse racing form lines guide explains how to compare horses that have met previously without assuming the same finishing order must be repeated.
Long Walk Hurdle Betting
The Long Walk Hurdle often attracts recognisable staying hurdlers, which can make the market appear easier to interpret than a large handicap. A small field and familiar names do not remove uncertainty.
Start by assessing the race before concentrating on the prices. Determine which horses are suited by the ground, which have the strongest current form and how the likely pace could affect them. Only then compare that assessment with the market.
A short-priced favourite can still represent a reasonable bet if its chance of winning is greater than the price implies. Equally, an outsider is not automatically good value because the odds are larger. There needs to be a racing reason why its chance may have been underestimated.
The Long Walk is also a useful example of why historical favourite statistics should be treated cautiously. Previous favourites have no direct influence on the current race; their record mainly tells us that several outstanding stayers have arrived at Ascot with obvious credentials.
Readers comparing bookmakers specifically for racing can use our Best Horse Racing Betting Sites guide.
Long Walk Hurdle Tips
Selections should be made close enough to the race for the final field, ground and likely pace to be understood.
This is particularly important at Ascot in December. Weather can alter the going considerably during race week, while non-runners can transform a race that appeared likely to contain a strong pace into a much more tactical contest.
Rather than placing permanent selections inside this evergreen guide, British Racecourses keeps current race-day analysis separate. Our Ascot betting tips page carries selections when racing takes place at the course.
That allows this page to remain a lasting guide to the Long Walk Hurdle without becoming obsolete as soon as an individual renewal has been run.
Long Walk Hurdle FAQs
What is the Long Walk Hurdle?
The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race staged at Ascot in December. It is one of the leading British races for staying hurdlers.
Where is the Long Walk Hurdle run?
The Long Walk Hurdle is normally run at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire.
How far is the Long Walk Hurdle?
The modern race is run over approximately three miles and half a furlong.
How many hurdles are jumped?
Horses normally jump 12 hurdles during the Long Walk Hurdle.
When is the Long Walk Hurdle?
The race is normally staged in December. Its exact date and race time change between seasons.
Is the Long Walk Hurdle a Grade 1?
Yes. The race was promoted to Grade 1 status in 1990.
When was the first Long Walk Hurdle?
The race was first run in 1965. It began as a handicap before becoming a conditions race in 1971.
Why is it called the Long Walk Hurdle?
The race takes its name from the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park, the famous tree-lined avenue near Ascot.
Which horse has won the most Long Walk Hurdles?
Baracouda holds the record with four victories, winning in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004.
How many times did Big Buck’s win the Long Walk Hurdle?
Big Buck’s won three consecutive renewals from 2009 to 2011.
How many times did Paisley Park win the Long Walk Hurdle?
Paisley Park won three times, succeeding in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
Who won the Long Walk Hurdle in 2025?
Impose Toi won the 2025 Long Walk Hurdle for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville.
Has a Long Walk winner gone on to win the Stayers’ Hurdle?
Yes. Several horses have completed the Long Walk and Stayers’ Hurdle double in the same season, including Baracouda, Big Buck’s, Thistlecrack and Paisley Park.
Is the Long Walk Hurdle a good Cheltenham trial?
Yes, but it should not be treated as a direct replica of the Stayers’ Hurdle. Ascot and Cheltenham have different course configurations, while ground and pace can also produce substantially different races.
Where can I find Long Walk Hurdle tips?
Current selections are best made once the final field and ground are known. Our Ascot betting tips page carries race-day analysis for Ascot meetings.
Responsible Betting
Staying hurdles contain uncertainty even when an established Grade 1 horse appears to hold the strongest form. Pace, jumping, ground and fitness can all materially change the result over three miles.
Analyse the race before betting, set your stake in advance and only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
Long Walk Hurdle Summary
The Long Walk Hurdle is one of Britain’s leading staying hurdles and an important part of the road towards the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Run at Ascot in December over approximately three miles, the Grade 1 demands stamina, efficient jumping and the ability to cope with whatever winter conditions the course produces.
Its history is dominated by outstanding stayers. Baracouda holds the record with four victories, while Big Buck’s, Reve De Sivola and Paisley Park each won the race three times. More recently, Crambo completed back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024 before Impose Toi won in 2025.
The strongest way to analyse future renewals is not through rigid statistics about favourites, ages or ratings. Current staying form, ground, pace, jumping, Ascot suitability and the way a horse has performed against its main rivals provide much stronger evidence.
The Long Walk also remains one of the key races for understanding the wider staying hurdle division. Some winners have progressed to Cheltenham glory in the same season, while others have proved particularly well suited to Ascot. That combination of championship significance and distinctive racecourse demands is what gives the Long Walk Hurdle its lasting importance.
