Charlie Longsdon will aim Kilcooley at the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot next month after deciding against running him in Saturday's Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Charlie Longsdon will aim Kilcooley at the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot next month after deciding against running him in Saturday's Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Acting on advice given to him by jockey Richard Johnson, the Chipping Norton handler will prepare the progressive six-year-old for the Grade One contest on December 19.
The son of Stowaway added a second Grade Two to his name on his seasonal bow at Wetherby last month, when grinding his rivals into submission under Johnson in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.
Longsdon said: "Kilcooley goes for the Long Walk. Richard said the Long Walk Hurdle would suit him better and he has got far more experience in riding in those races than I have.
"The race at Newbury may have come too soon for him, and t he other thing is the race at Ascot is worth more and he doesn't have to carry a penalty, whereas at Newbury it's worth less money and he would have to carry a penalty.
"I t was said they all had tough races at Wetherby but that form has been franked since by Rock On Ruby and Grumeti.
"He doesn't need soft ground and he is probably a better horse on good to soft ground, but soft ground just helps him string them out which is to his advantage, on good to soft ground others can hang on to his coat-tails.
"In an ideal world he will go for the Long Walk, then the Cleeve Hurdle before going on to the World Hurdle."