'He wanted a cuddle' - Nicky Henderson emotional as long week ends in Long Walk

There is good luck, there is bad luck and there was plenty of both as Ascot said farewell to 2021.

Nicky Henderson had not expected to win the Howden Long Walk Hurdle with Champ. Until recently he had not even been thinking of running him in the winter's biggest long-distance hurdle.

For weeks it had been the target of the trainer's Cesarewitch hero Buzz, who possibly would have won had he not fractured his pelvis at the end of a Friday morning routine canter.