Opinion
premium

I've been looking forward to seeing this horse in the Stayers' Hurdle for five months - now he can have his day

Pro punter Mark Holder with his thoughts on day three at the Cheltenham Festival

author image
Pro punter

I've been eagerly anticipating the Stayers' Hurdle ever since The Wallpark's impressive win at Cheltenham in October.

His finishing speed that day was remarkable. Although some were disappointed with his subsequent run at Ascot, leading bookmakers to lengthen his odds to 33-1 for this race, I believe that performance was even better. Held up in a very slowly run race, his late pace was outstanding, faster than the winner of a quality two-mile handicap hurdle later on the same card.

Unlike his October win, Thursday's race is on the more demanding New course at Cheltenham. In October, the stretch from the third-last hurdle to the finish took The Wallpark about 57 seconds; on Thursday, it will be closer to 100 seconds, which should play to his strengths. 

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on inMark Holder

Last updated

iconCopy