Howden Long Walk Hurdle 5a2e
Grade 1, Ascot 14:25
£105,000 guaranteed
4yo plus,
3m 97y, Class 1  
Saturday 18th December 2021

135nu

1 Champ 4/1
2 Thyme Hill 5/2F
3 Paisley Park 11/2
8 ran NR: Buzz Distances: 1¾l, 3½l, 3¼l
Time: 6m 8.45s (slow by 13.45s)

The nine-year-old Champ, trained by Nicky Henderson, was last seen being pulled up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – but showed he retained all his ability when outpointing Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in the extended three-mile showpiece.

The 4-1 chance was pulling double before the home turn with two flights left to jump and had to find extra in the closing stages as Thyme Hill put in a serious challenge.

But Jonjo O’Neill Jnr – recording a landmark first Grade One victory of his career – kept the JP McManus-owned gelding up to his work to prevail by a length and three-quarters.

Thyme Hill was runner-up for the second year running, although he reversed placings from 2020 with Paisley Park, who was three and a half lengths away in third on this occasion. Thomas Darby was fourth.

It was a bittersweet success for Henderson as he had to withdraw ante-post favourite Buzz on the eve of the race as the horse suffered a serious injury.

In the antepost Cheltenham Festival Stayers’ Hurdle at the with MansionBet.

BetGoodwin

Howden Long Walk Hurdle
£105,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 97y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

POS. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Champ 9 11-7 Nicky Henderson Jonjo O'Neill Jr 4/1
2 1¾ Thyme Hill 7 11-7 Philip Hobbs Tom O'Brien 5/2F
3 3½ Paisley Park 9 11-7 Emma Lavelle Tom Bellamy 11/2
4 3¼ Thomas Darby 8 11-7 Olly Murphy Fergus Gregory 9/1
5 9½ Ronald Pump 8 11-7 Matthew J Smith Keith Donoghue 3/1
6 4¼ On The Blind Side 9 11-7 Nicky Henderson James Bowen 12/1
7 6½ Third Wind 7 11-7 Hughie Morrison Charlie Deutsch 22/1
PU Lisnagar Oscar 8 11-7 Rebecca Curtis Adam Wedge 40/1
NR 1 Buzz 7 11-7 Nicky Henderson NON RUNNER

LONG WALK HURDLE ROLL OF HONOUR (1965-2020)
Race run as a handicap prior to 1971
(run at Newbury in 2009, Chepstow in 2005 and Windsor in 2004)

Year Winner Age/Wt Owner Trainer Jockey SP

2010 BIG BUCK’S 7-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls AP McCoy 2/13F
2009 BIG BUCK’S 6-11-07 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh 1/2F
2008 PUNCHESTOWNS 5-11-07 Judy Wilson Nicky Henderson Barry Geraghty 3/1F
2007 LOUGH DERG 7-11-07 W Frewen David Pipe Tom Scudamore 14/1
2006 MIGHTY MAN 6-11-07 Joss Hanbury Henry Daly Richard Johnson 11/8F
2005 MY WAY DE SOLZEN 5-11-07 B Windfield, A Longman, J Wright, C Fenton; Alan King Robert Thornton 12/1
2004 BARACOUDA 9-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Tony McCoy 8/13F
2003 BARACOUDA 8-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/7F
2002 DEANO’S BEENO 10-11-07 Axom Martin Pipe Tony McCoy 14/1
2001 BARACOUDA 6-11-07 J P McManus Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 2/5F
2000 BARACOUDA 5-11-07 Roger Barby Francois Doumen FR Thierry Doumen 11/4
1999 ANZUM 8-11-07 Old Foresters P’ship Alan King Richard Johnson 4/1
1998 PRINCEFUL 7-11-07 Robert Hitchins Jenny Pitman Richard Dunwoody 11/4F
1997 PADDY’S RETURN 5-11-07 Paddy O’Donnell Ferdy Murphy Norman Williamson 8/1
1996 OCEAN HAWK 4-11-07 Matt Archer/Jean Broadhurst Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/1
1995 SILVER WEDGE 4-11-07 Shirley & Bill Robins Oliver Sherwood Jamie Osborne 7/1
1994 HEBRIDEAN 7-11-07 Peter Deal David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 100/30
1993 SWEET DUKE 6-11-07 Andy Mavrou Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 7/2
1992 VAGOG 7-11-07 M A Swift Martin Pipe Martin Foster 15/2
1991 Abandoned due to frost
1990 FLOYD 10-11-07 Mike Walsh David Elsworth Graham Bradley 10/1
1989 ROYAL ATHLETE 6-10-08 Gary Johnson Jenny Pitman Dean Gallagher 33/1
1988 FRENCH GOBLIN 5-11-01 Maurice Pinto Josh Gifford Peter Hobbs 3/1
1987 BLUFF COVE 5-10-08 Dickins Ltd Reg Hollinshead Richard Dunwoody 14/1
1986 OUT OF THE GLOOM 5-10-08 Paul Green Reg Hollinshead Peter Scudamore 4/1
1985 MISTY DALE 7-10-08 David Rose Jenny Pitman Phil Tuck 9/4F
1984 KRISTENSON 7-10-08 Ursula Fantasia Roger Fisher Michael Williams 7/2
1983 CRIMSON EMBERS 8-10-11 Pam Smart Fulke Walwyn Stuart Shilston 14/1
1982 MAYOTTE 7-10-11 B Davies Richard Holder Paul Richards 15/8F
1981 Abandoned due to snow
1980 DERRING ROSE 5-11-11 Peter Savill Fred Winter John Francome 7/1
1979 JOHN CHERRY 8-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 6/1
1978 KELSO CHANT 6-11-07 Mrs M Richardson Jumbo Wilkinson Steve Charlton 10/1
1977 JOHN CHERRY 6-10-11 Milton Ritzenberg Tom Jones Steve Smith Eccles 11/8F
1976 Abandoned due to frost
1975 LANZAROTE 7-12-05 Lord Howard de Walden Fred Winter John Francome 4/9F
1974 GO BINGO 5-11-12 Guy Reed Sam Hall David Munro 9/4
1973 SOLONING 8-11-08 Mrs C Thornton Fred Winter Richard Pitman 9/2
1972 HIGHLAND ABBE 6-11-12 Mrs K Hankey Les Kennard Mr R Smith 11/1
1971 ST PATRICK’S BLUE 6-11-12 P Aunger David Tatlow Bill Smith 7/2F
1970 ROUGE AUTUMN 6-10-05 Bryan Jenks Fred Rimell Ken White 9/2F
1969 CANDID CAMERA 6-10-06 R F P Ross Ted Goddard Joe Guest 100/8
1968 Abandoned due to waterlogging
1967 Abandoned due to foot and mouth epidemic
1966 SIR EDWARD 6-10-09 R Heaton Ryan Price Josh Gifford 7/2F
1965 MINUTE GUN 8-10-04 Bill Shand Kydd Bill Shand Kydd Richard Pitman 100/8

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