Long Walk Hurdle

The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 race over three miles and one furlong at Ascot in December.

The race is an important early season trial for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Horses to win both races in the same season include Big Buck’s, Thistlecrack and Paisley Park.

Find out more about the Long Walk Hurdle:

Long Walk Hurdle

Race Overview – The Long Walk Hurdle

Horses must be four years old or older to compete in the Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle, the Long Walk Hurdle.

There are twelve hurdles to clear during the race, which is run at Ascot over a distance of around 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 miles and 97 yards, or 5,029 metres). The race happens in early December.

Long Walk Hurdle 2023 Odds

The Long Walk Hurdle odds are listed below:

Long Walk Hurdle
  • Date: Saturday 17th of December 2022
  • Time: 14:20
  • Details: 7 Runners Ascot.
Champ
7/4
Paisley Park
5/2
Miranda
3/1
Goshen
8/1
Botox Has
12/1
Not So Sleepy
14/1
Queens Brook
16/1

Long Walk Hurdle 2023 Tips

The Long Walk Hurdle tips are below:

2 points to win for TBC at odds of TBC
1 point each way for TBC at odds of TBC

Many Long Walk Hurdle horses will race in more races throughout the years. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.

Long Walk Hurdle Previous Winners

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer
1971St Patrick's Blue6Bill SmithDavid Tatlow
1972Highland Abbe6Richard Smith[a]Les Kennard
1973Soloning8Richard PitmanFred Winter
1974Go Bingo5David MunroSam Hall
1975Lanzarote7John FrancomeFred Winter
1976no race 1976 [b]
1977John Cherry6Steve Smith EcclesHarry Thomson Jones
1978Kelso Chant6Steve CharltonJumbo Wilkinson
1979John Cherry8Steve Smith EcclesHarry Thomson Jones
1980Derring Rose5John FrancomeFred Winter
1981no race 1981 [b]
1982Mayotte7Paul RichardsRichard Holder
1983Crimson Embers8Stuart ShilstonFulke Walwyn
1984Kristenson7Michael WilliamsRoger Fisher
1985Misty Dale7Phil TuckJenny Pitman
1986Out of the Gloom5Peter ScudamoreReg Hollinshead
1987Bluff Cove5Richard DunwoodyReg Hollinshead
1988French Goblin5Peter HobbsJosh Gifford
1989Royal Athlete6Dean GallagherJenny Pitman
1990Floyd10Graham BradleyDavid Elsworth
1991no race 1991 [b]
1992Vagog7Martin FosterMartin Pipe
1993Sweet Duke6Carl LlewellynNigel Twiston-Davies
1994Hebridean7Adrian MaguireDavid Nicholson
1995Silver Wedge4Jamie OsborneOliver Sherwood
1996Ocean Hawk4Carl LlewellynNigel Twiston-Davies
1997Paddy's Return5Norman WilliamsonFerdy Murphy
1998Princeful7Richard DunwoodyJenny Pitman
1999Anzum8Richard JohnsonAlan King
2000Baracouda5Thierry DoumenFrançois Doumen
2001Baracouda6Thierry DoumenFrançois Doumen
2002Deano's Beeno10Tony McCoyMartin Pipe
2003Baracouda8Thierry DoumenFrançois Doumen
2004Baracouda [c]9Tony McCoyFrançois Doumen
2005My Way de Solzen [c]5Robert ThorntonAlan King
2006Mighty Man6Richard JohnsonHenry Daly
2007Lough Derg7Tom ScudamoreDavid Pipe
2008Punchestowns5Barry GeraghtyNicky Henderson
2009Big Buck's[d]6Ruby WalshPaul Nicholls
2010Big Buck's[d]7Tony McCoyPaul Nicholls
2011Big Buck's8Ruby WalshPaul Nicholls
2012Reve De Sivola7Richard JohnsonNick Williams
2013Reve De Sivola8Richard JohnsonNick Williams
2014Reve De Sivola9Daryl JacobNick Williams
2015Thistlecrack7Tom ScudamoreColin Tizzard
2016Unowhatimeanharry8Barry GeraghtyHarry Fry
2017Sam Spinner5Joe ColliverJedd O'Keeffe
2018Paisley Park6Aidan ColemanEmma Lavelle
2019The Worlds End8Adrian HeskinTom George
2020Paisley Park8Aidan ColemanEmma Lavelle
2021Champ9Jonjo O'Neill JrNicky Henderson
2022Paisley Park[e]10Aidan ColemanEmma Lavelle

Famous Long Walk Hurdle Winners

The Long Walk Hurdle was first run as a handicap in 1965 before being upgraded to a conditions race in 1971. It quickly became established as one of the most prestigious staying races of the season and was given Grade 1 status in 1990.

Fred Winter’s Derring Rose (1980-1981) was the first Long Walk Hurdle winner to go on to victory in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. His Festival victory was down to the perseverance of jockey John Francome with the horse looking beaten for much of the contest.

Francois Doumen trained Baracouda to win the Long Walk Hurdle four times in five seasons between 2000 and 2004. His winning sequence was interrupted in 2002 when unable to catch runaway leader Deano’s Beeno.

Big Buck’s dominated the Long Walk Hurdle from 2009 to 2011. Besides his three victories in this race, he also won four Stayers’ Hurdles, four Liverpool Hurdles and four Long Distance Hurdles. Reve De Sivola won the next three renewals but he never won the Stayer’s crown. Nick Williams trained the gelding who was always better suited to Ascot than Cheltenham.

The race has continued to provide clues to the outcome of the Stayers’ Hurdle in more recent times. Thistlecrack (2015) and Paisley Park (2018) also won the Stayer’s Hurdle in the same season.

Paisley Park won a second Long Walk Hurdle in 2020 to add his name to the impressive list of multiple winners.

Key Long Walk Hurdle Trials

The Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury is often the best guide to the outcome in this event. Eight of the last twelve winners had run at Newbury on their previous start, four of them winning and two placed.

The Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham is the next major target for the top stayers. Eight of the last twelve Long Walk Hurdle winners went on to contest the Cleeve Hurdle next time. Five of those horses completed the double, the most recent being Paisley Park (2018-19). Only Reve De Sivola (2012 and 2013) and Champ (2021) were beaten in the Cleeve Hurdle after winning the Long Walk.

Sam Spinner (2017) went straight to the Stayers’ Hurdle where he finished fifth.

Long Walk Hurdle Betting Trends

Age is not a significant factor in Long Walk Hurdle with a wide range of horses winning from five to ten. Punchestowns (2008) and Sam Spinner (2017) were among the five-year-olds to win here while Floyd (1990) and Deano’s Beeno (2002) were successful at the age of ten.

There have been seven winning favourites in the last twelve seasons and shock results are rare.

Big Buck’s started odds-on favourite for all three of his victories from 2009 to 2011. Thistlecrack (2015) and Unowhatimeanharry (2016) were also strongly supported in the Long Walk Hurdle betting, returning at 2-1 and 6-5 respectively.

Although Reve De Sivola was a standing dish for the Long Walk Hurdle, he did not start favourite for any of his three victories (2012-2014).

The longest-priced winner in the Long Walk Hurdle odds in recent seasons was Lough Derg (2007) at 14-1.

No winner has returned at greater odds than Paisley Park’s 8-1 (2018) since.

Half of the recent winners had won on their last outing and ten of the last twelve winners had raced within the previous five weeks.

Another key factor is stamina with most recent winners having previous winning form at three miles or further.

This is one of the highest class staying hurdle races of the season and all but two of the last twelve winners had already won at least once at Grade 1 level.

An official handicap rating of 152 or higher is usually required to win this race.

Big Buck’s was the highest officially rated staying hurdler in history with a mark of 174.

Long Walk Hurdle – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Richard Johnson is the leading rider in the history of the Long Walk Hurdle with four winners; Anzum (1999), Mighty Man (2006) and Reve de Sivola (2012, 2013).

Tony McCoy won the race three times; Deano’s Beano (2002), Baracouda (2004) and Big Buck’s (2010).

The four victories of Baracouda have left Francois Doumen as the leading trainer in the race. He remains one ahead of Paul Nicholls, Nick Williams and Fred Winter who have three apiece.

Betting on the Long Walk Hurdle

The Long Walk Hurdle is one of the best guides to the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham and often establishes a clear favourite for that event.

Many of the greatest stayers in history have won here on the road to the Festival.

Popular Questions

What are important facts about Long Walk Hurdle?

Here are some important facts about Long Walk Hurdle:

  • The Long Walk Hurdle is run at Ascot Racecourse, Great Britain
  • The Long Walk Hurdle is for horses aged 4+
  • The Long Walk Hurdle is a National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain
  • The Long Walk Hurdle distance is 3 miles and 1 furlong

Summary of the Long Walk Hurdle

Thank you for reading our Long Walk Hurdle guide.

We have looked at the history, previous winners, betting and tips.

The race is one of the top staying hurdles of the season and has been won by many top-class horses over the years.

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As the Founder of British Racecourses, I have a life-long passion for horse racing and have loved the sport as long as I can remember. I am also a keen racehorse owner and have worked in the gambling industry for several years. I set up British Racecourses with the desire to share my passion for racing with other like-minded people.