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Reve De Sivola ridden by Richard Johnson wins the Wessex Youth Trust Long Walk Hurdle Race at Ascot Racecourse. Tim Ireland/PA Wire/Press Association Images
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Deja vu as Reve De Sivola wins Long Walk Hurdle for second year running

The horse gained a 10-length victory for Devon based trainer Nick Williams and jockey Richard Johnson.

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THE WESSEX YOUTH Trust Long Walk Hurdle (Grade 1) at Ascot this afternoon was a repeat of 2012 when the mud-loving Reve De Sivola ran his rivals in to submission and gained a 10-length victory for Devon-based trainer Nick Williams and jockey Richard Johnson.

Ultra impressive last year when making all the running, Johnson understandably set his mount off in front again with the 9/4 second favourite barely eyeing a rival over the 3m1f trip in rain softened conditions.

At Fishers Cross was sent off a very short 8/11 under champion jockey Tony McCoy and was settled in third as the runners made their way over the first mile of the contest. Time For Rupert chased the leader with Salubrious and rank outsider Tweedledrum happy to follow the pace from the rear.

Jumping had been the concern for At Fishers Cross when beaten by Celestial Halo at Newbury in November and there were a few scratchy moments for horse and rider this time with big jumps and a particular error at the third last when trying to get to the long-time leader. Worse was to follow as a complete mess was made at the last, when effectively beaten, and AP McCoy was unseated by his mount.

Time For Rupert will have encouraged connections on his comeback run but it was Salubrious from off the pace that was battling on for second with At Fishers Cross when the latter came down. The 6/1 shot for Paul Nicholls was eventually second with Tweedledrum, who went off at 100/1 with the bookmakers, grabbing third to pick up some nice prize money for trainer Tom Symonds.

It is hard to know what the future will hold now for At Fishers Cross, disappointing on both starts this term, and supporters will be very wary of parting with their money on his next outing, whenever that may be.

It’s all roads to Cheltenham though for Reve De Sivola, and trainer Nick Williams was delighted with the victory.

“It’s fantastic, two years in a row, the softer the ground the better he lets himself down. He crashed through a couple but when he jumped well, he was very quick”

“He will go for the World Hurdle, whatever the ground. He was a bit flat last year in that and we are going to bypass the Cleeve Hurdle this year as that was a hard race for him last year. We may take an easier race in before Cheltenham,” said Williams.

Bookmakers reacted to the win with general quotes of 10/1 for the World Hurdle to be run at Cheltenham in March.

image- Dean Ryan

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