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2026 Long Walk Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in December of each year at the Ascot racecourse is the Long Walk Hurdle. The race is a Grade 1 that is run over a distance of three miles and a half a furlong, where there will be twelve hurdles to jump.
The winners and leading contenders tend to go on to run in the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, and in recent times Big Bucks, Thistlecrack and Paisley Park have all gone on to complete the double.
Long Walk Hurdle Information:
We also have a dedicated Ascot tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Ascot Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Long Walk Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 105%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 120%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Long Walk Hurdle, the over-round has been 114%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £114 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Long Walk Hurdle Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Long Walk Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Long Walk Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Unowhatimeanharry (5:54.30) in 2016
- Lough Derg (5:57.30) in 2007
- Punchestowns (5:57.40) in 2008
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Long Walk Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 8 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +3.91. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Long Walk Hurdle, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 5:54.30 was set by Unowhatimeanharry in 2016, trained by Harry Fry and ridden by Barry Geraghty, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2012 when Reve De Sivola won in a time of 6:38.00 for trainer Nick Williams, who booked Richard Johnson in the saddle.
Long Walk Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Long Walk Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Long Walk Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2022 renewal was initially abandoned due to a frozen track, but was rescheduled to run at Kempton on Boxing Day.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:58.59 | Impose Toi (FR) 7yo 11-7 3/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2024 6:06.84 | Crambo (GB) 7yo 11-7 9/1 | Jonathan Burke Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2023 5:59.41 | Crambo (GB) 6yo 11-7 5/1 | Jonathan Burke Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2022 6:13.85 | Paisley Park (IRE) 10yo 11-7 9/2 | Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle (GB) |
| 2021 6:08.45 | Champ (IRE) 9yo 11-7 4/1 | Jonjo O'Neill Jr Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2020 6:15.93 | Paisley Park (IRE) 8yo 11-7 9/4 | Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle (GB) |
| 2019 6:20.44 | The Worlds End (IRE) 8yo 11-7 15/8F | A P Heskin Tom George (GB) |
| 2018 6:03.70 | Paisley Park (IRE) 6yo 11-7 8/1 | Aidan Coleman Emma Lavelle (GB) |
| 2017 6:02.90 | Sam Spinner (GB) 5yo 11-7 9/2 | Joe Colliver Jedd O'Keeffe (GB) |
| 2016 5:54.30 | Unowhatimeanharry (GB) 8yo 11-7 6/5F | Barry Geraghty Harry Fry (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Long Walk Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 29 placings from 148 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 3 placings from 9 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 Long Walk Hurdle Replay
Long Walk Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Long Walk Hurdle over the last 20 renewals, with Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Nick Williams, and Emma Lavelle having all won the race three times. Nicky Henderson winners have been with Punchestowns (2008), Champ (2021) and Impose Toi (2025). Paul Nicholls' winners have been with Big Bucks (2009, 2010 & 2011). Nick Williams' winners have been with Reve De Sivola (2012, 2013 & 2014). Emma Lavelle winners have been with Paisley Park (2018, 2020 & 2022). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Long Walk Hurdle is Fergal O'Brien (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Long Walk Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 18-3-7 | -5.00 | -0.70 |
| Paul Nicholls | 17-3-7 | -13.05 | -1.54 |
| Nick Williams | 9-3-5 | +7.25 | +4.82 |
| Emma Lavelle | 5-3-5 | +12.75 | +9.11 |
| Fergal O'Brien | 3-2-2 | +13.00 | +7.40 |
| David Pipe | 10-1-4 | +5.00 | +12.50 |
| Harry Fry | 4-1-2 | -1.80 | -1.63 |
| Jedd O'Keeffe | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.70 |
| Tom George | 2-1-1 | +0.88 | -1.00 |
| Henry Daly | 1-1-1 | +0.73 | +0.44 |
Long Walk Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Long Walk Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Jonathan Burke, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Crambo (2023 & 2024).
Here are some of the top Long Walk Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Burke | 5-2-2 | +11.00 | +5.40 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-1-1 | -1.00 | -1.20 |
| Jonjo O'Neill Jr | 4-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.60 |
| Joe Colliver | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.70 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -4.32 |
| Harry Cobden | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -0.50 |
| Harry Skelton | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.95 |
| Tom Bellamy | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | -0.85 |
| Sean Bowen | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.75 |
| James Bowen | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.50 |
2026 Long Walk Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, (2, 3), 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, UR, 2, 1, 1, 3, 7, 1, 2, 2, 3, 10, 10, 3
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (63%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 20 / 20 (64%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 20 / 20 (65%) - Ran over 1m4½f - 2m1½f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (70%) - Carried 136 - 159lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Ran over 2m4f - 3m½f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Fewer than 3 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not in a LST/Cl2/Cl5 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 128+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Fewer than 3 races (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Furthest Placed 2m5½f - 3m1½f
- 20 / 20 (86%) - In a field of 7 - 16 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 3 - 15 wins (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl2 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved an RPR of 139+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Off a break of 21 - 274 days
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ascot racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Long Walk Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Long Walk Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Long Walk Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +10.56, is when runners ran over 2m on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career wins in Non-Handicap races, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-30.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Long Walk Hurdle is Newbury; there have been a total of 11 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Haydock; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Haydock last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 150 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 11 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Long Walk Hurdle:
- Assessor (3 Wins)
- Cadoudal (3 Wins)
- Oscar (3 Wins)
- Saddler Maker (2 Wins)
- Sir Harry Lewis (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Long Walk Hurdle; that stallion is Martaline, who has failed to produce a winner from 7 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Lough Derg in 2007, winning for David Pipe at odds of 14/1 under the guidance of Tom Scudamore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 8 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Long Walk Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Long Walk Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Impose Toi Newbury - 1st of 7 (6/5) | Long Distance Hurdle |
| 2024 - Crambo Aintree - 8th of 10 (13/2) | Liverpool Hurdle |
| 2023 - Crambo Haydock - 3rd of 15 (5/1) | Betfair Stayers Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - Paisley Park Newbury - 2nd of 5 (6/1) | Long Distance Hurdle |
| 2021 - Champ Cheltenham - PU of 12 (13/2) | Cheltenham Gold Cup |
| 2020 - Paisley Park Newbury - 2nd of 10 (11/4) | Long Distance Hurdle |
| 2019 - The Worlds End Newbury - 3rd of 5 (7/1) | Long Distance Hurdle |
| 2018 - Paisley Park Haydock - 1st of 7 (4/1) | Betfair Stayers Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - Sam Spinner Haydock - 1st of 16 (6/1) | Betfair Stayers Handicap Hurdle |
| 2016 - Unowhatimeanharry Newbury - 1st of 9 (7/2) | Long Distance Hurdle |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Long Walk Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
