Racing,

Pretenders to contenders

LONG WALK HURDLE
Saturday 23rd December, 2:25pm


West Balboa  @ 10/3
Crambo @ 7/2
Champ @ 9/2
Paisley Park @ 6/1
Dashel Drasher @ 13/2
view odds

*prices correct at time of writing. 


RACE
Ascot welcomes back the Howden-sponsored Long Walk Hurdle (2-25), the Grade One centrepiece of its busy Christmas programme, after frosty weather forced a switch to Kempton in 2022; however some things don’t change, and star-name Paisley Park, aged eleven, is making his fifth appearance in a race in which he’s been successful three times. He and fellow old-timers Champ and Dashel Drasher face some talented young pretenders.

MARKET
Paisley Park has race form figures of 1–1–3–1, suffering his only defeat behind Champ two years ago. Despite being a veteran, a narrow defeat by Dashel Drasher when conceding six pounds at Newbury last time indicated the light still shines bright in the popular fast-finisher.

Dashel Drasher, ten years old himself, is a tremendous performer, and although he’s never run in this before he clearly enjoys Ascot having won four races here, including a Grade One chase. Before beating Paisley Park at Newbury he was third behind the progressive Botox Has and Red Risk at Wetherby, but looked to benefit from the run.

Champ, also eleven, won well in 2021 but has not been out since April – and wind surgery – however, he goes well fresh. Dashel Drasher is highest rated in the field with Champ and Paisley Park just behind, and all are clear of the rest, but plenty feel that the youngsters are ready to overtake the old guard. Crambo’s eye-catching third (with Gowel Road fourth) last time was in a handicap at Haydock that has been a regular vehicle for emerging talent (including Paisley Park and Botox Has). The four-year-old Blueking D’Oroux has done little wrong, but this is another kettle of fish.

West Balboa, with a mare’s allowance, will stay the distance and showed her well-being when completing a hatrick of wins in November.

CORNELIUS’ QUARTET
Becoming regular jockey of Dashel Drasher has accelerated recognition of the increasingly accomplished Rex Dingle, and he could have a very happy Christmas Saturday, also riding the Badger Beer winner Blackjack Magic off what’s probably a workable rise in weight level (3-00); at 3-35, Nicky Henderson is due to saddle three, and while Iberico Lord and Impose Toi have won recently I’m wondering about the stable’s Luccia, which is better off at the weights with Iberico Lord after finishing not far behind him at Cheltenham in November; in a competitive Tommy Whittle at Haydock (1-30), everyone is looking at course and distance form from the other day, but the key could be this same race from 2021 when Enqarde was successful off a pound higher; Lingfield’s races are confined to jockeys with less than thirty winners during the bulk of the flat season which means the vastly-experienced though badly-underused Liam Keniry qualifies and should have an advantage over many, notably on Mr Trick (3-10).

THE WINNER
In the Long Walk, it’s highly debateable if the younger brigade are quite good enough – of them, I like Botox Has – but we know that Paisley Park certainly is.


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