Howden Long Walk Hurdle: West Balboa new favourite

“I’m looking forward to running him and the form is working out well,” said Moore. “Hopefully he is as good as he was that day at Wetherby but time will tell.

“He’s always been a fair horse and he was probably one of the best English horses during his juvenile year – if it had not been for Goshen he would have been the top four-year-old, he’s always been a good horse. He didn’t really take to chasing but has done well reverting back to hurdles.”

The race also offers a huge opportunity to conditional jockey Caoilin Quinn, who was aboard Botox Has when winning a valuable handicap at Haydock last season and when striking at Wetherby, with Moore feeling he deserves the chance to continue the association.

He said: “He has won two nice races on him so you could hardly take him off.”

There are no secrets surrounding the enigmatic Goshen, who was a winner at this track last term and also finished second when this race took place at Kempton last Boxing Day, but has struggled in both outings over hurdles this term.

Last seen in the rearranged Fighting Fifth at Sandown, Moore feels the return to three miles is just what the seven-year-old now requires and said: “I think that now suits him better, but I don’t know if the ground is going to be soft enough for him.

“It was an afterthought (to go to Sandown) and I probably shouldn’t have run there. He’s danced every dance.”

A field of 10 will head to post with Paisley Park going for win number four in the Grade One and Nicky Henderson’s Champ bidding to regain the title he won in 2021.

Blueking D’Oroux is on a rapid upward curve and unbeaten in two outings this term. He is one of two for champion trainer Paul Nicholls alongside West Yorkshire Hurdle runner-up Red Risk, with the in-form Gavin Sheehan aboard Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Gowel Road.

Howden Long Walk Hurdle betting odds

10/3 West Balboa

7/2 Crambo

9/2 Champ

6/1 Paisley Park

7/1 Dashel Drasher

10/1 Botox Has

12/1 Blueking d’Oroux

22/1 Red Risk

22/1 Gowel Road

50/1 Goshen

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All odds and market correct at date of publication