Howden Long Walk Hurdle: West Balboa new favourite
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West Balboa is the new 10/3 favourite in Coral’s Howden Long Walk Hurdle betting odds after strong support ahead of Saturday’s race at Ascot.
Dan Skelton’s mare was 7/2 only a few days ago, but Coral have seen plenty of money for the unexposed seven-year-old, who will try to extend her three-race winning run after an impressive display at Aintree last month.
Fergal O’Brien has always thought plenty of Crambo, who suffered an interrupted passage when third at Haydock, and he is second in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle betting at 7/2.
Coral’s Lewis Knowles said: “West Balboa’s win at Aintree last time suggested she was ready for a step up to graded company, and punters clearly agree as they’ve now backed her into favouritism at 10/3.
“Crambo is next in the market at 7/2, and this could signal a changing of the guard with old favourites Champ and Paisley Park behind the young pretenders in our betting.”
Botox Has will spearhead Gary Moore’s challenge on Saturday, with stable stalwart Goshen also poised to line up at Ascot.
The former produced arguably a career best when claiming Wetherby’s Grade Two West Yorkshire Hurdle last month (pictured below) and his handler has been waiting for a crack at this Grade One ever since.
The form of that race has a strong look with Jeremy Scott’s reopposing Wetherby third Dashel Drasher getting the better of three-time Long Walk hero Paisley Park at Newbury and Moore is now keen to see if 10/1 shot Botox Has can back up that performance and cement his place as one of the leading players in a wide-open division.
“I’m looking forward to running him and the form is working out well,” said Moore. “Hopefully he is as good as he was that day at Wetherby but time will tell.
“He’s always been a fair horse and he was probably one of the best English horses during his juvenile year – if it had not been for Goshen he would have been the top four-year-old, he’s always been a good horse. He didn’t really take to chasing but has done well reverting back to hurdles.”
The race also offers a huge opportunity to conditional jockey Caoilin Quinn, who was aboard Botox Has when winning a valuable handicap at Haydock last season and when striking at Wetherby, with Moore feeling he deserves the chance to continue the association.
He said: “He has won two nice races on him so you could hardly take him off.”
There are no secrets surrounding the enigmatic Goshen, who was a winner at this track last term and also finished second when this race took place at Kempton last Boxing Day, but has struggled in both outings over hurdles this term.
Last seen in the rearranged Fighting Fifth at Sandown, Moore feels the return to three miles is just what the seven-year-old now requires and said: “I think that now suits him better, but I don’t know if the ground is going to be soft enough for him.
“It was an afterthought (to go to Sandown) and I probably shouldn’t have run there. He’s danced every dance.”
A field of 10 will head to post with Paisley Park going for win number four in the Grade One and Nicky Henderson’s Champ bidding to regain the title he won in 2021.
Blueking D’Oroux is on a rapid upward curve and unbeaten in two outings this term. He is one of two for champion trainer Paul Nicholls alongside West Yorkshire Hurdle runner-up Red Risk, with the in-form Gavin Sheehan aboard Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Gowel Road.
Howden Long Walk Hurdle betting odds
10/3 West Balboa
7/2 Crambo
9/2 Champ
6/1 Paisley Park
7/1 Dashel Drasher
10/1 Botox Has
12/1 Blueking d’Oroux
22/1 Red Risk
22/1 Gowel Road
50/1 Goshen
All odds and market correct at date of publication
