Long Walk Hurdle Odds

The Long Walk Hurdle is one of the best staying races of the season at Ascot and the betting for the race will be equally exciting as we get to run the rule over some of the best in the division. You can find the latest odds for the 2020 Long Walk Hurdle in the days leading up to the race.

Long Walk Hurdle Tips

The Long Walk Hurdle tends to be a high quality contest with some excellent horses heading to Berkshire but we will try to point punters in the right direction once again this season. Paisley Park won this race last year and should be head and shoulder above the rest once again this weekend as he looks to continue a remarkable run of form which has seen him dominate this division. You can check out our 2020 Long Walk Hurdle tip on this page as the race gets closer.

What is the Long Walk Hurdle?

The JLT Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade One horse race run over a trip of three miles and one furlong at Ascot each December.

The Grade One contest has a long and varied history and is one of the best races of the season in the staying hurdle division on the way to the Cheltenham Festival.

This is one of the key trials for the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival each season with six horses winning both races in the same season, including Paisley Park, who did the famous double last season for Emma Lavelle.

What happened in the 2019 Long Walk Hurdle?

With Paisley Park being scratched from the race hours before the off then this Grade 1 event was a lot easier to win for the remaining runners. As the reigning champion watched from the sidelines it was the Alan King-trained The Worlds End who bagged victory in an entertaining finish to the staying hurdle event.

Cruising into the home straight, The Worlds End was passed by the Nicky Henderson-trained L'Ami Serge and the Seven Barrows inmate looked to have the race sewn up as The Worlds End jumped to his left over the final couple of hurdles. 

However, as the quirky L'Ami Serge jumped the last a couple of lengths clear he began to tie up and it left the door ajar for The Worlds End, who showed terrific stamina to reel in Henderson's contender, and it was King's charge that managed to claim the win.

The history of the JLT Long Walk Hurdle

First run in 1965, the Long Walk Hurdle was initially a handicap race before becoming a conditions contest in 1975 and eventually a Grade One in 1990, as it has remained ever since.

The race tends to take place on the Saturday before Christmas at the venue of Royal Ascot and will be one of the more popular jumps fixtures at the venue. Horses that run well in this race will often go to Cheltenham before the Cleeve Hurdle on their next start before heading back to the Stayers Hurdle at the Festival thanks to the clearly defined programme for the long distance hurdlers.

Who is the most iconic winner of the Long Walk Hurdle?

We have already mentioned some of the legendary horses to have won the Long Walk Hurdle down the years with names like Baracouda, Reve De Sivola and Thistlecrack rolling off the tongue but even those three can;t match the great Big Buck's who simply dominated the division. The Paul Nicholls trained horse won the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival four times during a golden spell but he loved going to Ascot as well before Christmas with three successive wins in the race between 2009 and 2011.

Are there any trials for the Long Walk Hurdle?

There is a clear plan on the road to the Stayers Hudle and it is the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot that tends to be step two on that path. The key race when looking for potential runners is the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury with horses who show up well there often heading to Berkshire for their next race on their way back to Prestbury Park. There have been a number of multiple winners of this race so last years renewal is always worth checking as well with staying hurdlers a specialist division that tends to suit a certain type of animal.

Who is the most successful jockey in the Long Walk Hurdle?

A number of famous jockeys have claimed the win in the Long Walk but it is Richard Johnson who sits as the record holder with no less than four wins to his name. Johnson has tasted success on Anzum (1999), Mighty Man (2006) and Reve De Sivola (2012 + 2013) so far during his career.

Who is the most successful trainer in the Long Walk Hurdle?

The legendary Baracouda (2000, 2001, 2003 + 2004) made this race his own at the start of the century with four wins in the race for trainer Francois Doumen and that puts the French handler at the top of the record list for the race.