Crambo taking direct route for Long Walk defence

Crambo is set to head straight to Ascot after an unsatisfactory scope ruled him out of Friday’s Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

The seven-year-old was priced as second favourite in the market behind Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader for the Grade Two contest over three miles but trainer Fergal O’Brien did not declare his charge.

The Ravenswell Farm handler admitted his stable star has a small issue which he did not want to risk, but he has already pencilled in a return to action in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on December 21.

Crambo edged victory by a short head during a brilliant finish with Paisley Park in last year’s renewal and O’Brien is confident he can defend his crown, if he returns to full fitness, despite having not run since the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree in April.

“He didn’t scope quite as well as we would have liked him to scope, so we thought we’d wait,” O’Brien said.

“No (it’s not too serious), we just thought we’d wait and just get him right to go straight to Ascot, so fingers crossed.

“He’s not too far away from where we wanted him to be, but with that type of race – three miles around Newbury on softish ground – we wanted him to be on his A game and he probably wouldn’t be on his A game.

“It’s just over three weeks until Ascot so we will see how we go. By the time we got to Ascot last year, he had two runs, but we know he goes well fresh. We are not worried, I’d rather go to Ascot 100 per cent fresh and we know he likes it around there.

“Me and the owners are disappointed because we wanted to go to Newbury, but it wasn’t to be.”