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A Christmas undercard to savour as old stagers once again go hammer and tongs in mouthwatering Long Walk

Paisley Park (left) and Champ set to renew their rivalry in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot
It's round six between Paisley Park (left) and Champ at Ascot on SaturdayCredit: Mark Cranham

Great sporting rivalries depend on several factors but arguably the two most important are that there are repeat clashes, and that the outcome is always hard to predict.

Ali v Frazier in the early 1970s ran to a trilogy, while Coe and Ovett met in four Olympic track finals over 800m and 1,500m, as well as a smattering of European Championships and a couple of big nights in Oslo and Zurich.

Saturday's Howden Long Walk Hurdle (2.25) marks round six for old warriors Paisley Park and Champ, a sequence which warms the hearts of racing fans all the more because it has lasted well past an age when most top-class racehorses begin to decline in their level of performance.

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France correspondent

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