Hughes In Positive Mood

Dessie Hughes believes Hardy Eustace will have the stamina to be effective over the three-mile-one-furlong trip he will encounter in the BGC Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot tomorrow.

The dual Champion Hurdle winner scored over a half-mile shorter in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2003.

Although Hardy Eustace has won the Coral Ascot Hurdle over two and a half miles for the last two years, he was well beaten when last trying a similar distance to tomorrow's Grade One feature.

'He travelled over to Ascot last night and he's fine,' said Hughes.

'He likes good ground and the trip will be no problem to him.

'Looking at his last run you would think he was as good as ever.

'Two and a half miles is probably his best trip but he's not going too slow for two miles yet.

'We'll see what happens tomorrow before we decide which route to take.'

The 10-year-old is currently 8-1 for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle and a best-priced 33-1 for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Festival in March.

Francois Doumen won the race four times with the great Baracouda and the French trainer has had it in mind for Kasbah Bliss for some time.

The five-year-old shaped well when third behind Inglis Drever and Special Envoy on unsuitable ground at Newbury three weeks ago.

'He took his race well, but it's a different way of racing in England compared to France,' he said.

'Even if a horse has a good race quite recently in France they need to have this contact again in English racing.

'The ground was too soft for him at Newbury and I think he will be in better condition this time and this race has really been the target.

'We've had a very strong frost and we have not been working them hard for a week now but this horse runs well fresh and it's not a problem.

'He had the proper work just before.'

Oscar Park fell at the penultimate flight in the Newbury contest when still up with the leaders and his trainer David Arbuthnot is hoping for a clear round this time.

'He's been perfectly all right since his fall. He's in very good form. Let's just hope he gets over the second last,' he said.

'He was going well when he fell two-out at Newbury. I don't think we would have beaten Inglis Drever, he's a very good horse, but I think he would have been placed so he should have a chance of being placed tomorrow.'

'He won the Pertemps Final on good ground at Cheltenham.

'Obviously I would have preferred it a bit softer but I don't think it will be too much of an inconvenience to him.'

(C) PA Sport