Strong Leader ready for Long Distance defence

Olly Murphy expects Strong Leader to put up a staunch defence of his crown in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on Friday.

The eight-year-old was a decisive winner of the Grade Two contest 12 months ago and returns to Berkshire after a hard-fought comeback success in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby four weeks ago.

“He’s in good form and I’ve popped a set of cheekpieces on him, just to hopefully help sharpen him up,” said Murphy.

“He’s trained well since Wetherby and loves the track. Hopefully the ground won’t be too testing and I’m really looking forward to running him.

“I do think he’s improved since Wetherby, he’s always been a horse that comes forward from his first run. He’s got to give most of them 6lb, which isn’t going to be easy, but he is the class horse in the race and I’m looking forward to seeing him defend his crown.”

Strong Leader’s rivals include Nicky Henderson’s pair of Doddiethegreat and Impose Toi, who steps up in class following an emphatic comeback success in an Aintree handicap hurdle three weeks ago, while Irish hopes are carried by Shark Hanlon’s Hewick.

The latter disappointed as favourite for the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby at the start of the month, but Hanlon is hoping a return to the smaller obstacles will see him in a better light, with the trainer’s son, Paddy, also back in the saddle.

Hanlon said: “He won both rides on him and he’s back riding him again and he’s delighted to be riding him again. He’s getting a lot of experience and we’re happy for him riding him. He’s ridden him twice over hurdles and won twice over hurdles so we don’t want to break that record – he’s got a 100 per cent strike-rate!

“They went a million miles an hour at Wetherby and he just got outpaced early and maybe he might not have been 100 per cent as well.”

Dan Skelton’s Take No Chances takes on Strong Leader again after being beaten a neck at Wetherby, with Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore’s Ahoy Senor and Botox Has from Gary and Josh Moore’s yard completing the line-up.