Long Walk Hurdle
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The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in the United Kingdom for four-year-old and above horses. It is run over a distance of 3 miles and 1 furlong (5,029 metres) at Ascot Racecourse in December. There are fourteen hurdles to be jumped in the race.
Named after an avenue of trees in Windsor Great Park, the race was first run in 1965 as a handicap, becoming a conditions race in 1971. It attained Grade 1 status in 1990. Prior to the 2004-06 redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse the distance of the race was 3 miles and 1½ furlongs.
Three winners of the race since 1971 have gone on to win the World Hurdle in the same season – Derring Rose in 1980/81, Baracouda in 2001/02 and My Way De Solzen in 2005/06.
[edit] Winners since 1971
- Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1971 | St Patrick's Blue | 6 | Bill Smith | David Tatlow |
| 1972 | Highland Abbe | 6 | Mr Richard Smith | Les Kennard |
| 1973 | Soloning | 8 | Richard Pitman | Fred Winter |
| 1974 | Go Bingo | 5 | David Munro | Sam Hall |
| 1975 | Lanzarote | 7 | John Francome | Fred Winter |
| no race 1976 * | ||||
| 1977 | John Cherry | 6 | Steve Smith Eccles | Harry Thomson Jones |
| 1978 | Kelso Chant | 6 | Steve Charlton | Jumbo Wilkinson |
| 1979 | John Cherry | 8 | Steve Smith Eccles | Harry Thomson Jones |
| 1980 | Derring Rose | 5 | John Francome | Fred Winter |
| no race 1981 * | ||||
| 1982 | Mayotte | 7 | Paul Richards | Richard Holder |
| 1983 | Crimson Embers | 8 | Stuart Shilston | Fulke Walwyn |
| 1984 | Kristenson | 7 | Michael Williams | Roger Fisher |
| 1985 | Misty Dale | 7 | Phil Tuck | Jenny Pitman |
| 1986 | Out of the Gloom | 5 | Peter Scudamore | Reg Hollinshead |
| 1987 | Bluff Cove | 5 | Richard Dunwoody | Reg Hollinshead |
| 1988 | French Goblin | 5 | Peter Hobbs | Josh Gifford |
| 1989 | Royal Athlete | 6 | Dean Gallagher | Jenny Pitman |
| 1990 | Floyd | 10 | Graham Bradley | David Elsworth |
| no race 1991 * | ||||
| 1992 | Vagog | 7 | Martin Foster | Martin Pipe |
| 1993 | Sweet Duke | 6 | Carl Llewellyn | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 1994 | Hebridean | 7 | Adrian Maguire | David Nicholson |
| 1995 | Silver Wedge | 4 | Jamie Osborne | Oliver Sherwood |
| 1996 | Ocean Hawk | 4 | Carl Llewellyn | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 1997 | Paddy's Return | 5 | Norman Williamson | Ferdy Murphy |
| 1998 | Princeful | 7 | Richard Dunwoody | Jenny Pitman |
| 1999 | Anzum | 8 | Richard Johnson | Alan King |
| 2000 | Baracouda | 5 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen |
| 2001 | Baracouda | 6 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen |
| 2002 | Deano's Beeno | 10 | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe |
| 2003 | Baracouda | 8 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen |
| 2004 | Baracouda * | 9 | Thierry Doumen | François Doumen |
| 2005 | My Way de Solzen * | 5 | Robert Thornton | Alan King |
| 2006 | Mighty Man | 6 | Richard Johnson | Henry Daly |
| 2007 | Lough Derg | 7 | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
* The 1976 and 1991 races were abandoned because of frost, and the 1981 race because of snow.
* Due to the closure of Ascot Racecourse for redevelopment, the race took place at Windsor in 2004, and Chepstow in 2005.
