Thistlecrack impressive in Long Walk Colin Tizzard's progressive stayer Thistlecrack was an impressive winner of the Grade One JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. Reve De Sivola was bidding for a record fourth victory in the contest but ultimately had to play second fiddle to the second season hurdler who ran out an impressive winner under Tom Scudamore. Scudamore had to appeal against a ban in order to be free to take the ride and the seven-year-old made it well worth his while with a smooth performance. Settled in midfield as Reve De Sivola cut out a steady pace, the pair were always travelling strongly. The leader's hurdling was far from fluent but he had still seen off the challenge of Saphir Du Rheu a long way from home but as he turned into the straight with two hurdles to jump, Thistlecrack was stalking Richard Johnson and travelling ominously well. Scudamore gave him his office at the second last and he quickly asserted to go an and run out an impressive winner eight length from Reve De Sivola. Deputy Dan finished third, another 12 lengths away, but the well-touted Saphir Du Rheu was a big disappointment. Scudamore said of the 2/1 favourite: "He gave me a lot of pleasure. It's a very special day. That showed me how good I think he is. "He jumped very well in the main - he's a Grade One winner again." Tizzard said: "I had it on my mind all summer that if he's not up to World Hurdle class we'd scrap that and go over fences. "We said we'd give him two runs over hurdles to see if he's good enough and we now know what the answer to that is. "He'll run again one more time before Cheltenham, otherwise I'd be left twiddling my thumbs with him for three months."
