Key questions: will one of Henderson's three darts hit bullseye in Long Walk?

JLT Hurdle (Registered as the Long Walk Hurdle) | Grade 1 | 4yo+ | 3m 97y | ITV4/RTV

Ten years have elapsed since Nicky Henderson gained his sole success in Ascot's premier hurdle race with Punchestowns, but he has three live chances of doubling his tally.

Unusually, all three won at Sandown on the final day of last season, and none of them has been seen in public since. They also have to prove themselves over this trip.

Punters make Call Me Lord the clear pick of the trio, and perhaps that's no wonder as he was very impressive when beating Lil Rockerfeller in a Grade 2 that day and might be even better over this extended three miles.

Watch Call Me Lord win the Select Hurdle at Sandown here

Henderson said: "Call Me Lord has to go right handed, so that limits him, but if we find here that he stays three miles it opens up a lot of windows. He got two miles five at Sandown well though, and he goes in soft ground.

"Soul Emotion went chasing in France and it didn't really work, so we put him back over hurdles when he came over here and he was very good both times we ran him. He's not making a chaser at the moment so we're going to see how good a hurdler he might be."

He added: "Top Notch was knocked sideways by a flu vaccination six or eight weeks ago, which is why he's back so late. The alternative to this was the King George first time out, so we figured we might as well do this with a view to the Ascot Chase or something on the way to the Ryanair."

Can Unowhatimeanharry repeat his 2016 success?

Unowhatimeanharry beat Lil Rockerfeller in this race two years ago and got his career back on track when landing Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle.

He is almost 11 now and probably not quite as good as he was at his peak, when a Grade 1 winner at Cheltenham and Punchestown, but he is expected to be competitive.

Trainer Harry Fry said: "It was great to get him back winning again, although he had plenty in his favour that day as he didn't have a penalty, and he had the benefit of a run too.

"The first-time cheekpieces seemed to help, so they're retained, and although I'm not suggesting he's the horse he was when he won two years ago he clearly retains a lot of ability."

Fry added: "He still has that will to win and all we can ask of him is that he runs another good race."

Is Sam Spinner as good as he was last year?

Sam Spinner came here 12 months ago on the back of a runaway handicap win at Haydock and made every yard for a thoroughly convincing defeat of L'Ami Serge and hot favourite Unowhatimeanharry, but he has failed to reproduce that form in three runs since.

Jedd O'Keeffe feels he is the same horse at home and so is trying headgear for the first time in a bid to rejuvenate him. If the cheekpieces work he could be the one to beat.

Sam Spinner and Joe Colliver are out to repeat their victory here 12 months agoCredit: Mark Cranham

O'Keeffe said: "At Newbury we were a bit disappointed as he just lacked a bit of zest in the way he raced, so we're putting cheekpieces on. He hasn't had them at home yet and we are saving them for the races.

"We're thrilled to be going back to Ascot and he seems in terrific shape - he looks great and is training great - but we thought the same before Newbury."

What the others say

Emma Lavelle, trainer of Paisley Park
He seems to just keep improving at home so I couldn't be happier with him, but there's a little bit of anxiety regarding the ground. He won on soft and ran a great race on it in the Grade 2 at Warwick, so I can't say he doesn't handle it, but this season's good wins have been on better ground, so it might be softer than ideal.

Nick Gifford, trainer of The Mighty Don
He's an outsider and realistically we're just hoping he might finish in the first three or four. I think there's untapped potential there still and the stiffer track will suit, so I think he'll get closer to Unowhatimeanharry. We could have done without the rain, but he handles the ground.

Kim Bailey, trainer of Younevercall
He would prefer better ground but with a revised mark of 157 the handicapper has given us no choice but to run in a race like this. We'll be delighted if he's in the first three or four.

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