Long Run

Long Run is the prize asset from the stables of trainer Nicky Henderson and the hot favourite for every race that the horse runs in. Long Run is a seven-year-old Bay Gelding with a superb record which is the envy of many other trainers on the National Hunt circuit.

Long Run has many key strengths which make the animal popular when it comes to horse racing betting across any race or festival. Long Run has not actually had too many career races with only eight in total but there is a very good reason for this and Henderson deserves much credit for looking after his animal.

Long Run Statistics

Long Run statistics cover a period of only four years where the horse has been in professional competition. Out of the eight races the horse has competed in, there have been four wins, two second place finishes and two third place finishes. What makes Long Run statistics remarkable is that one of these wins came in the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup when the horse was six and arguably still under developed.

Long Run statistics also show consistency over a distance of 16-24 furlongs which is important in a betting sense. This consistency has meant that the horse has never been priced longer than 13/2 making it one of the strongest betting propositions whenever the animal takes part in a race.

Racing Style of Long Run

The debut of Long Run came on May 25 2008 in a race at Auteuil over 18 furlongs. The racing style of Long Run was clear for all to see as the horse kept in the running with the leaders before making a move for the line to win by two lengths. The racing style of Long Run has been kept the same throughout of the career and was repeated for the last win at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival. Long Run tucked inside the leaders and won by seven lengths.

The racing style of Long Run also includes a very smooth jumping ability. It is important for any horse in National Hunt racing to jump well because a bad jump can mean a horse hits a fence badly and loses momentum or speed. This will naturally slow the horse down and will allow others to catch up or overtake leaving the jockey with more work to do.

Nicky Henderson

Nicky Henderson is one of the best trainers in National Hunt racing and he deserves a lot of credit for his relationship with Long Run. It can be tempting for trainers to overrun their prize horses but Henderson has protected Long Run and has been very selective in the races the horse enters.

The main benefit of Nicky Henderson handling the horse in this way is that the animal stays fresh and will always be in perfect condition for any top class race. The horse raced in only three other events in 2011 as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This also allows Henderson to work long and hard with the horse away from the racecourse to maintain that consistency and the core strengths the horse has.

Betting on Long Run

There are a few things that punters have to remember when it comes to betting on Long Run. The horse has a hold up style and there is always a risk with this. A hold up style means a horse is held back from the front before being unleashed in the final stages of the race.

Betting on Long Run is always going to revolve around short prices because this is a high quality animal proven in tough contests. It will be difficult to find value unless punters can afford a large stake. The horse is a sure fire each way bet for any race but this decreases the value even further.