Baracouda Heads Eight Declared Runners For Long Walk Hurdle Eight runners have been declared at today´s 48-hour declaration stage for the highlight of the December Meeting at Royal Windsor, the £75,000 Telectronics Systems Long Walk Hurdle. Heading the field is Baracouda, the outstanding staying hurdler of recent years and winner of this race in 2000, 2001 and 2003. The nine-year-old made a winning seasonal reappearance when taking the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on November 27. Francois Doumen´s charge is set to reoppose Crystal d´Ainay, the three-quarter length runner-up at Newbury and winner of the Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last season and also the Robert Alner-trained mare Kadara, a staying-on third in the Newbury contest. Martin Pipe is doubly represented by Ilnamar, triumphant in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle in 2002 and a pleasing third on his return from injury behind Monet´s Garden in the Grade Two Coloroll Hurdle on November 19, and It Takes Time. Ireland is represented by last year´s Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Rule Supreme, who also landed the Grade One Grande Course de Haies d´Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) on June 19. Completing the field is Jonjo O´Neill´s Sh Boom, successful in the Grade Two Premier Stayers´ Hurdle at Haydock last season and the Nicky Henderson-trained Geos, twice winner of the competitive totesport Gold Trophy at Newbury. Declarations have also been made for tomorrow´s card at Royal Windsor, which now features seven races following the division of the opening Windsor-Racecourse.co.uk 'National Hunt' Maiden Hurdle. This also means that the first race is now at 12.30pm, with the last race at 3.40pm. The highlight of tomorrow´s programme is the £30,000 Grade Two bet@bluesq.com Novices´ Hurdle, which has attracted five starters. These are headed by Cherub, a Grade One winner at Punchestown in April who is joined by the Martin Pipe-trained Marcel, a seven-time winner already this year including a Grade Two contest at Cheltenham, Paul Nicholls´ Chockdee, Mark Bradstock´s Cossack Dancer and Finely Tuned from the Mark Pitman stable.
