Long Walk Hurdle preview

Owner Paul Duffy expects Reve De Sivola to put up a bold show in his bid for a fourth successive victory in Saturday's JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

The Nick Williams-trained 10-year-old has made the Grade One feature his own in recent years, completing his hat-trick with a particularly thrilling victory over Zarkandar 12 months ago.

He made a pleasing reappearance when sixth in the Grand Prix d'Automne at Auteuil last month and with conditions in his favour, Duffy is keeping his fingers crossed his pride and joy can emulate the great Baracouda, who won the Long Walk four times between 2000 and 2004.

"It would be a fantastic achievement if he could win it four times. He'd get the credit he deserves," said the owner.

"He acquitted himself well in his last race in Auteuil and the ground wasn't wet enough for him. We're hoping it's going to be soft to heavy at Ascot. The more it rains, the better for us.

"It tends to come up soft, the course suits him so we're just hoping for a good run.

"I think the competition is hotter this year, but he's well and hopefully he'll run his normal decent race.

"He's the horse they will have to catch."

Despite his formidable record at the Berkshire circuit, Reve De Sivola is only third in the betting, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Saphir Du Rheu and Colin Tizzard's Thistlecrack disputing favouritism.

Saphir Du Rheu saw off Reve De Sivola in last season's Cleeve Hurdle before finding only Cole Harden too strong in the World Hurdle back at Cheltenham in March.

He was considered a live contender for the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the start of this season, but after being beaten into fifth when favourite for last month's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, he reverts to the smaller obstacles in a bid to emulate legendary former stable companion Big Buck's, a three-time winner of this race.

Nicholls said: "He seems in good order and schooled over hurdles on Monday. My only concern would this be too quick after having a hard run in the Hennessy, but he had a hard race in the World Hurdle then went and won at Aintree.

"He is much straighter and lighter than he was before the Hennessy. As he was walking around in the paddock before the Hennessy he looked a few kilos heavier.

"He will probably still make a good staying chaser, but it does them no harm to mix it up as it can help sharpen them up and I don't know why it's something we don't do more often."

Thistlecrack was an impressive winner of Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle last month and Tizzard believes he is in even better shape ahead of his latest assignment.

He told Racing UK: "I thought going to Newbury he would improve massively for it and he looks fitter now.

"He was good that day, he was good on his last two runs last year. He's a thorough stayer and it's lovely to have a horse of his quality in the yard.

"We tried him over lots of different trips last year as we just didn't know but his dam won over three miles and we thought we had to try him over it.

"This year he's a better horse, he's a lot stronger, he's a real quality horse.

"The idea was to have a couple of runs over hurdles and if he wasn't good enough we'd go novice chasing, but I'm sure if he runs a big race we'll stay hurdling now."

Alan King's Karezak is a talented but frustrating individual, filling the runner-up spot on 12 of his 17 starts, but winning just once.

The in-form trainer hopes a step up in distance will help raise his game.

Speaking on his website www.alankingracing.co.uk, King said: "Karezak has been running well over two miles and is paying for his consistency by going up the handicap, so we are experimenting in trying him over three, and if he does stay it will open up more options."

David Pipe's top-class chaser Dynaste also reverts to hurdles in a bid to secure his first victory since March of last year, while Oliver Sherwood saddles Long Distance Hurdle runner-up Deputy Dan.

The field is completed by Gordon Elliott's Irish challenger Taglietelle.

"He's given his owners a lot of fun, but the handicapper probably has him now and he's just below the top graded level," said Elliott.