Crambo fails to better last year's winning figure - and is a long way off what's needed to land the Stayers' Hurdle

The Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle was the highlight of Ascot's two-day meeting and, although it served up a thrilling finish with last year's winner Crambo (154) just denying Hiddenvalley Lake (154), in Racing Post Ratings it wasn't a strong race.

A race-fit Crambo ran to a figure of 156 when denying race regular Paisley Park a fourth victory in the contest last year, but that figure fell some 5lb below the ten-year-average for the race and Saturday's winning mark was 2lb shy of that.

The winner and the returning Hiddenvalley Lake are probably both capable of rating higher and may well yet break through the 160-barrier, but, even though it is now the weakest of the main championship races at the Cheltenham Festival, the ten-year-average RPR for winners of the Stayers' Hurdle is 166 – and that still looks a long way.