Long Walk looking strong

There are eight Irish possibles for the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 17.

The potential runners include Fighting Fifth Hurdle runner-up Apple's Jade for Gordon Elliott, and Vroum Vroum Mag, Nichols Canyon and Shaneshill from the Willie Mullins stable.

French challenger Alex De Larredya will attempt to follow compatriot Baracouda, who was a standing dish in the Grade One over three miles, taking the honours four times for trainer Francois Doumen.

Alex De Larreyda, trained by Francois Nicolle, has yet to leave his native land but is a proven classy performer as he showed when winning the Grade One Grand Prix d'Automne earlier this month.

The six-year-old had the Paul Nicholls-trained Ptit Zig back in third that day, having finished second to that horse in the French Champion Hurdle in June.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to owner Simon Munir, said: "The plan is for Alex De Larredya to go over to Ascot for the JLT Long Walk Hurdle.

"The long-term aim is to go for the Grand Course de Haies d'Auteuil again. He has run in September, October and November, so the Long Walk would fit into his programme as the final race before he goes off for a winter break.

"With the Long Walk being a Grade One, the conditions of the race suit him as a Grade One winner and so we thought we could keep him ticking him over for it.

"Daryl (Jacob) will be going over to France to sit on him and school him over some English-style hurdles.

"Obviously, we have had to make the entry now just under a month away, but in principle if all goes well we will be coming over.

"He is an interesting horse in that he was second to Ptit Zig in the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil in June and then turned the tables on his rival last time out. It is going to be a tough-looking Long Walk."

Among the 26 entries are Alan King's Coral Hurdle scorer Yanworth, the Harry Fry-trained Unowhatimeanharry, winner of the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on his recent reappearance, and Nick Williams' Reve De Sivola, winner of this race three years in a row from 2012-14.