Newbury takes centre stage this coming weekend with the excellent two-day Coral Gold Cup Meeting kicking off on Friday afternoon. The headline handicap lights up the Saturday card, with the Grade 2 double act of the Coral John Francome Novices Chase and Coral Long Distance Hurdle taking centre stage on the opening day.
Since its inaugural edition in 1990, the Long Distance Hurdle has attracted a selection of the best staying hurdlers in training. Held over the 3m trip, the race often serves as the first step towards a shot at the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. 21st Century winners Baracouda, Inglis Drever, Big Bucks, Thistlecrack, and Paisley Park all claimed this contest en route to landing the big one in March.
All in all, a race well worth watching with a view to the season ahead. Here, we outline the 12 runners remaining in the 2024 field and pick out our best bet in what looks like a competitive renewal.
1. Beacon Edge – 8/1 with bet365
Trainer: Gordon Elliott
A Grade 1 winner during his time at the yard of Noel Meade, this ten-year-old joined the Gordon Elliott operation in October 2023. He failed to hit the heights of his younger years in a busy 2023/24 season but ran a cracker to finish second in a Grade 2 at Navan. Returning with a fair fifth in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham, he bagged his first Graded success in three years when keeping on well to claim the bet365 Hurdle at Warwick. However, he receives a 6lb penalty for winning what looked like a weak event for the Grade, which makes life tough.
2. Crambo – 11/4 with bet365
Trainer: Fergal O’Brien
Long held in high regard by connections, Crambo has gone some way towards delivering on the hype. Kicking off 2023/24 with an easy win in an Aintree Handicap, he then finished an unlucky-in-running third in a Grade 3 Handicap at Haydock. Stepped up in class for the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, he narrowly denied Paisley Park in one of the most thrilling finishes of the season. He boasts excellent claims on that effort but disappointed at Cheltenham and Aintree on his final two outings last season. That said, he has won first time out in the last two seasons, which suggests this may be the time to catch him.
3. Dashel Drasher – 7/1 with bet365
Trainer: Jeremy Scott
One of the most admirably tough staying hurdlers around - win or lose, Dashel Drasher leaves it all out on the track. A Grade 1 winner over fences back in 2021, his career high over hurdles saw him deny Paisley Park by a head in the 2023 edition of this. In common with Crambo, his season tailed off at Cheltenham and Aintree. His form ties in closely with the Fergal O’Brien runner, but this represents a quick turnaround from last weekend’s outing in the 1965 Chase.
4. Strong Leader – 15/8 with bet365
Trainer: Olly Murphy
This son of Passing Glance enjoyed a productive Novice campaign, culminating in a fine second to Inthepocket in the Top Novices’ Hurdle. That effort suggested his turn in Grade 1 company may not be far away. However, he had to wait until his final start of 2023/24 to achieve that goal when storming home to claim the Liverpool Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting. That’s amongst the best form on offer, but all his wins have come on good to soft or faster going.
5. Langer Dan – 9/4 with bet365
Trainer: Dan Skelton
This likeable performer looked well-in when bagging back-to-back Coral Cups off a mark of 141 in 2023 and 2024. Now rated 160, that appears to have been the case. Finding only Impaire Et Passe and Bob Olinger too good in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle, he then finished second to the Willie Mullins runner in the Select Hurdle at Sandown. Those efforts make him the pick on ratings, but he has yet to tackle 3m and usually saves his best form for Spring.
6. Monmiral – 8/1 with bet365
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Unbeaten during his debut 2020/21 season, this ex-French runner looked like a potential star when claiming the Grade 1 Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, only to embark on a ten-race sequence of defeats upon his return in 2021/22. Quite what went wrong remains a mystery, but he bounced back to cause a 25/1 shock in the Pertemps Network Final over this trip at Cheltenham. His two subsequent disappointments came on unsuitably quick ground, and he may bounce back on the predicted soft going (four wins from eight starts on soft or worse).
7. Kerryhill – 33/1 with bet365
Trainer: Ruth Jefferson
Lightly raced performer who will make only his fifth start over hurdles here. Comes into contention on his win in the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle last season but ran as though something was amiss when pulled up at Haydock last weekend.
8. Doyen Quest – 12/1 with bet365
Trainer: Dan Skelton
The second of three Dan Skelton runners in the field won three of his final four starts last season. He has continued his upward trajectory into the current season. A solid second at Chepstow on his comeback, he stepped up on that to score by 5l on his first crack at this trip. That came in Class 2 Handicap company, and a mark of 135 leaves him well short of a few of these rivals. However, there may well be more to come from this six-year-old.
9. Flight Deck – 33/1 with bet365
Trainer: Deborah Cole
A 132-rated handicapper who has come up short in two previous outings in Grade 2 company. Up against it on form but at least handles soft ground and made an encouraging return at Newton Abbott in October.
10. The Imposter – 66/1 with bet365
Trainer: Nigel Hawke
Won nine of ten starts between November 2022 and December 2023 to shoot from a mark of 76 to 125. That’s a remarkable rise, but still leaves him with work to do in this field. Having missed the second half of last season, he showed little when pulled up at Haydock last weekend.
11. Zain Nights – 33/1 with bet365
Trainer: Lucy Wadham
A win over this course and distance kicked off a hat trick between March and May 2024. He returned with a solid third in a Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham but is another who failed to complete at Haydock last weekend. We would forgive him that outing in gruelling conditions, but all four hurdles wins have come on good to soft or quicker.
12. Kateira – 9/1 with bet365
Trainer: Dan Skelton
The only mare amongst the entries boasts solid form in Grade 1 company, having finished second to Irish Point in the 2023 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle. She returned to Aintree to claim the William Hill Handicap Hurdle on her final start of 2023/24 and has run two solid races this term. But for a terrible blunder at the second last, she may have mastered Beacon Edge in the bet365 Hurdle, and she made up for that when easily scoring in Listed company on Monday. Talented, but a four-day turnaround and the likely soft ground make her an unlikely runner.
The Verdict
A tricky heat, with most of the field having some sort of question to answer.
Strong Leader has sound form claims but looks better on a quicker surface, whilst the ground also looks against Zain Nights.
The Imposter, Kerryhill, Kateira, and Dashel Drasher ran only last week, and Langer Dan rarely goes well at this time of year.
With Flight Deck up against it on recent form and Doyen Quest over 20lbs adrift of the top-rated runner, that leaves a short list of Beacon Edge, Monmiral, and Crambo.
Of that trio, Crambo makes much the most appeal. Already a Grade 1 winner and with an excellent record following a break, he can get back on track following a disappointing end to his 2023/24 campaign.
Recommended Bet: Crambo @ 11/4 with Bet365
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
Paul Harrison
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