This weekend’s standout race will see the best staying hurdles in the UK take on some of the up-and-coming Irish stayers.

Strong Leader has flourished since stepping up to three miles, but will he have enough to hold off last year’s winner, Crambo, and the fast-improved The Wallpark and Shoot First?

Find out here as I take you through all ten runners with my runner-by-runner betting guide.

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Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle runner by runner betting guide

Now it’s time to take a in-depth look into runners of the Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle and the best horse racing bookmakers to help you make a winning bet.

🏇 7 Strong Leader

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 2431-1
• Rating: 158
• Jockey: Sean Bowen
• Trainer: Olly Murphy
• Odds: 9/4

This former two-mile Grade 1 placed novice hurdler has not looked back since stepping up to three miles.

Having had jumping issues over shorter trips, Strong Leader has relished the step up in trip and the slower pace.

His first go at three miles saw him staying on strong to the line behind Grand National winner Noble Yeats, and he backed that run up with a Grade 1 win in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree at the end of last season.

This season got off to a faultless start with an easy win over Monmiral in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle, cementing himself as the top staying hurdler in the UK.

He faces a much deeper race here, with some Irish raiders thrown in for good measure, but I see this being uncomplicated for Stong Leader.

Today can be the day when Stong Leader adds his name to the list of winners, including Unowhatimeanharry, Thistlecrack, and the best-staying hurdler of all time, Big Bucks, to do the Long Distance Hurdle and Long Walk Hurdle double in the same season.

✅ Thriving over three miles
✅ Uncomplicated
✅ Still unexposed over this trip

❌ His jumping can be an issue

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️

🐎 Bet on Strong Leader with talkSPORT BET 🐎

🏇 8 The Wallpark

• Age: 6
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 091111
• Rating: 152
• Jockey: Mark Walsh
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Odds: 7/2

Since racking up his four-timer, The Wallpark will now dawn the famous gold and green hoops of JP McManus.

He’s a horse firmly on the up and won well at Cheltenham last time to earn a crack at this level, but will he be good enough?

As of right now, I don’t have him as a Grade 1 winner just yet.

I see this as a fact-finding mission, whether to go down the stayers hurdle route or target the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle, as they did successfully with Sire Du Berlais off the same mark.

He’s an interesting runner, but I see him falling short today against a strong favourite.

✅ A fast-improving handicapper
✅ Tactically versatile
✅ Unexposed over this trip

❌ Big jump up in grade

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

🐎 Bet on The Wallpark with Sky Bet 🐎

🏇 4 Crambo

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 13198-
• Rating: 156
• Jockey: Jonathan Burke
• Trainer: Fergal O’Brien
• Odds: 15/2

Things didn’t go as planned after his win in this race last season.

He was well beaten in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham and again in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree behind Strong Leader, leaving more questions than answers going into this season.

The form of his short-head win in this last season is questionable.

Paisley Park, Dashel Drasher, and Champ, we’re all well past their best and in the veteran stages of their careers (Paisley Park and Champ have been retired since).

He is a horse with an awful lot to prove and is one to take on until he shows improved form.

✅ Last season’s winner
✅ Still has time on his side

❌ His form tailed off last season
❌ Has a lot to prove on his comeback

🐎 Bet on Crambo with Paddy Power 🐎

🏇 5 Hiddenvally Lake

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 9/F13-
• Rating: 152
• Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe
• Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
• Odds: 9/1

Hiddenvally Lake is a horse that promised a lot in his novice hurdle days and was only narrowly beaten by the now twice Grade 1 novice chase placed Monty’s Star in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Clonmel before disappointing in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

They sent him novice chasing last season, but that didn’t last long.

After a fall three on his chase debut, his sights were set straight back on hurdling.

A win over Beacon Edge back over hurdles was followed with a third to Strong Leader in the Liverpool Hurdle, and that form would give him a fighting chance here.

He is a lively each-way player at the prices, but he will find it hard to reverse placings with Strong Leader.

✅ Has the form to play a bit part here
✅ Runs well fresh
✅ Goes on any ground

❌ Has it to do to turn around the form with Stong Leader

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

🐎 Bet on Hiddenvally Lake with Midnite 🐎

🏇 6 Shoot First

• Age: 8
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 281/51
• Rating: 145
• Jockey: Philip Byrnes
• Trainer: Charles Byrnes
• Odds: 9/1

Once the horse that was on everyone’s lips for the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival back in 2023, Shoot First was met with a long stint on the sideline.

Having returned from a nearly two-year absence, Shoot First made a more than satisfactory return to action with an eye-catching fifth of 11 at Galway.

It was over to Haydock for the Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle for his latest start.

In the lead-up to the race, Shoot First was well fancied in the betting, but on the day he was available at 25/1, and to the shock of many, he got the job done in gritty style.

This race represents a big step up in grade, and will it come too soon?

After a gruelling race on bottomless ground at Haydock, and added to the fact that this is his third run in under three months on the back of such a layoff, it will take a huge performance for Shoot First to get into the winner’s enclosure today.

✅ Won well last time out
✅ Still unexposed

❌ He had a hard race at Haydock
❌ Three runs in less than three months on the back of an injury

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐

🐎 Bet on Shoot First with Betfred 🐎

🏇 2 Blueking d’Oroux

• Age: 5
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 1154-2
• Rating: 150
• Jockey: Harry Cobden
• Trainer: Paul Nicholls
• Odds: 10/1

Having run well in this for a long way as a four-year-old last season, Blueking d’Oroux looks to go four places better today.

But I don’t see this happening.

He ran well on his comeback on this track last month over a shorter distance, but for me, the step up in the trip is not what he wants.

Last season, he had no real excuses for the fifth-place finish; he just seemed not to stay the trip.

There is every reason for people to think that with summer on his back and another year older, he may be able to see it out stronger today, but even so, he shouldn’t be good enough.

He beat Strong Leader over two miles and three furlongs last season, but I find it hard to see him getting close to Strong Leader today over this trip.

✅ Has plenty of time on his side
✅ Jumps well

❌ Well beaten in this last season

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️

🐎 Bet on Blueking d’Oroux with bet365 🐎

🏇 10 Kateria

• Age: 7
• Weight: 11st 0lb
• Form: 241-31
• Rating: 144
• Jockey: Harry Skelton
• Trainer: Dan Skelton
• Odds: 11/1

Kateria took the notable scalp of Jango Baie when winning the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at the Aintree Festival last season but was turned over at 8/11 on her return to the track this season.

She travelled well throughout, but once she made a mistake two out, she downed tools very fast and finished a well-beaten third.

Dan Skelton found her an easy opportunity last time out at Kempton, but stepping into a Grade 1 against the boys, she is easily opposed, given how fast she downed tools at Wetherby.

✅ Won well last time out

❌ Downed tools on her seasonal return
❌ Three miles seem to stretch her stamina

Star rating: ⭐️

🐎 Bet on Kateria with SBK 🐎

🏇 1 Beauport

• Age: 8
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 2P1P-1
• Rating: 148
• Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
• Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies
• Odds: 33/1

Better known for his exploits over fences these days, as seen when bolting up by over 30 lengths on his seasonal return, Beauports connections may be out to look after his chase mark with the aim of a certain race at Aintree this spring.

This will be his first run over hurdles since April 2022, but he will ensure a strong pace is set here. However, he should run well for a long way, and if he shows the same form as his chase win, he would have each-way squeak at the prices.

✅ In good form coming in here

❌ First run over hurdles since April 2022

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️

🐎 Bet on Beauport with BetMGM 🐎

🏇 3 Botax Has

• Age: 8
• Weight: 11st 7lb
• Form: 61P5-0
• Rating: 151
• Jockey: Caoilin Quinn
• Trainer: Gary & Josh Moore
• Odds: 40/1

He has shown glimpses of the form that would give him a small each-way chance, but he put in an awful display at Cheltenham in October to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.

You would find it hard to give him any chance of bettering his sixth-place finish from last season based on his latest run.

✅ Can run well on his best form

❌ Put in a shocking display at Cheltenham
❌ Could only manage a sixth-place finish last season

Star rating: ⭐️

🐎 Bet on Botax Has with BetMGM 🐎

🏇 9 Eagle Fang

• Age: 8
• Weight: 11st 6lb
• Form: 10-123
• Rating: 144
• Jockey: Oakley Brown
• Trainer: William Durkan
• Odds: 40/1

Eagle Fang ran well behind Aspire Tower and Home By The Lee this season and is worth a go at this new trip.

But the step up in trip will need to bring a massive jolt of improvement from this four-year-old.

I don’t like four-year-olds in open-graded races; that view does not change here.

He may be one to keep an eye on for the spring handicaps this season.

✅ Has run with credit the last twice
✅ The step up in trip looks sure to suit

❌ This is a massive ask on his first start at three miles
❌ Needs the trip to bring about a massive improvement

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️

🐎 Bet on Eagle Fang with Midnite 🐎

Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle verdict

A few come here with question marks hanging over their heads, but that can’t be said about STRONG LEADER.

He hasn’t looked back since being stepped up to three times last season, winning a Grade 1 and Grade 2 over this trip.

There is every reason to believe that we have yet to see Strong Leader’s full potential over this trip, and if he finds even more improvement here, he will be extremely hard to beat.

Hiddenvalley Lake looks like the alternative each-way selection.

Current Betting: Strong Leader 9/4, The Wallpark 7/2, Crambo 15/2, Hiddenvally Lake 9/1, Shoot First 9/1, Blueking d’Oroux 10/1, Kateria 11/1, 33/1 bar.

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