Long Run out to prove himself at Cheltenham
Despite having won the King George at Kempton in deeply impressive fashion Long Run still has plenty to prove when it comes to racing at Cheltenham.
The ex-French trained six-year-old has raced at Cheltenham twice in his young career and has finished third on both runs, despite starting as favourite for both races. Those who placed Cheltenham 2011 bets on him would have been upset by his performance.
Connections of Long Run believe there were valid reasons behind his previous Cheltenham defeats. They are confidant those reasons have now been remedied and think the horse is now ready to show his true colours at the home of National Hunt racing and the Cheltenham betting offers suggest he should be in with an excellent chance.
He achieved his win in the King George with a round of jumping that was the best he has produced under race conditions. The improvement in his jumping technique has put down to some extensive schooling with jumping guru Yogi Breisner.
Breisner has again been working with Long Run and his jockey Sam Waley-Cohen. If his magical schooling sessions manage to produce the same jumping display he showed at Kempton then there is no reason to expect anything other than a massive run from the Cadoudal gelding.
