Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher could briefly resume his chasing career after his placed run in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle.

The fan favourite, now 11 years old, had a lucrative spell in staying hurdles last season but is also a well-regarded chaser with four successes over fences on his CV – including the Grade One Ascot Chase.

Second in the Relkeel Hurdle, the Cleeve Hurdle and the Stayers’ Hurdle last season, the latter a placing gained upon appeal, the gelding returned to action this term to finish third in the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby in November.

He then headed to Newbury for the Long Distance Hurdle, a Grade Two event he won by a head from fellow veteran Paisley Park – another stalwart of the division.

Both horses lined up for the Long Walk to give Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo a run for his money, with the young horse coming out on top as Paisley Park was second behind him and Dashel Drasher in third place.

Scott could now call on his stable star’s versatility as the horse’s next outing could either be a hurdle start or a brief return to chasing, though both paths will likely lead to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

“He’s doing really well. He did pull a muscle, I think over the last hurdle because he went quite long there, so we’ve had a little hold-up there,” said Scott.

“That’s probably neither here nor there and we’ve sorted that out, so he’s fighting fit for the end of the month or the beginning of next month.

“He could either go back to the Cleeve (Hurdle, at Cheltenham) or go for the Denman (Chase, at Newbury), I’ve a notion to do that.”

Should Dashel Drasher head for the Denman he may meet Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin and Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame, with the going pivotal to the decision made.

“It’s just a matter of the timing and the ground as to which direction we go in, but he’s very well at the moment and one of those is the plan,” Scott said.

“I’d imagine he’d go for the Stayer’s Hurdle either way, there’s nothing for him over fences really at Cheltenham, only the Gold Cup and I wouldn’t quite think he was up to that.”

Crambo came out on top in a breathtaking battle of the ages with Paisley Park to claim Howden Long Walk Hurdle glory at Ascot.

Paisley Park was bidding to match the brilliant Baracouda’s record of four wins in the Grade One contest over an extended three miles.

But the popular 10-year-old just had to give way to Crambo – four years his junior, who was providing trainer Fergal O’Brien with just his second elite-level success.

Dashel Drasher set off in his customary prominent position, but there was little more than a few lengths covering all 10 runners at the halfway stage.

With four flights left to jump, it was noticeable that Paisley Park was lying handier than has often been the case and Tom Bellamy threw down a challenge between the last couple of hurdles.

However, Jonathan Burke made his move at the exact same time and the pair jumped the final obstacle together before settling down for a ding-dong battle on the run-in.

It was impossible to predict the outcome until close home, when 5-1 chance Crambo edged in front by a short head to give O’Brien a first Grade One triumph since Poetic Rhythm in 2017.

Paisley Park will try to match the great Baracouda’s record with a fourth triumph in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

The highly-popular 11-year-old first won the contest in 2018 and returned to the Berkshire track to reclaim his title in 2020 before landing a rescheduled 2022 running at Kempton last Christmas.

While Big Buck’s and Reve De Sivola were each three-time race winners, no horse has yet equalled the Francois Doumen-trained Baracouda, who won the race in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004, as well as being beaten just a length into second in 2002.

Though now a veteran with 28 runs and 11 wins under his belt, the Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park looked to have lost none of his vim when lining up for the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury first time out this season.

He was beaten just a head by Jeremy Scott’s equally likeable Dashel Drasher, who reopposes on Saturday.

“He seems in great order at home and has done everything we have wanted since his last run and we’ll see,” said Lavelle.

“I was delighted with how he was at Newbury and these races take a lot of winning, so it is lovely to see so many of the old boys back again.

“He kept galloping, and that is what we wanted to see – and if he can keep doing that, and if his legs can go round fast enough, he will be giving it his all.

“We’re very much looking forward to running and seeing what happens. Hopefully, it can continue to be his favourite race.”

On the prospect of matching Baracouda’s record, Lavelle added: “It would be an extraordinary achievement, it really would.

“All we can do is hope and he’s just been the most remarkable horse for us. He certainly seems to be enjoying his racing the same as ever.”

Dan Skelton’s West Balboa was a winner on her seasonal debut when taking a class two hurdle over two and a half miles at Aintree in November.

The race was only contested by three horses, but 12 lengths behind her was Olly Murphy’s Brewin’upastorm, a Grade Two winner, and 10 lengths behind him was Grade One-winning chaser Millers Bank.

This Ascot contest is a step up in grade and trip for the seven-year-old, but she is proven over the latter after winning the Village Hotels Handicap Hurdle at Aintree on her final start last term.

“She’s in good form, she started off her season very well at Aintree,” said Skelton.

“She definitely deserves to be there and deserves her go at the top flight.

“It was a good run (at Aintree) and beating a good yardstick like Brewin’upastorm is a fine start to the season.

“With respect, this is harder and she’ll have to step up, but she’s a good mare.”

Nicky Henderson will be represented by Champ, the 2021 winner of the race who makes his seasonal debut in the contest after finishing fifth in the Liverpool Hurdle when last seen in spring.

Champ runs in the silks of owner JP McManus, whose racing manager Frank Berry said: “He goes well fresh and Nicky and the team seem happy with him.

“He’s not getting any younger, but we’ll see how he goes.

“There’s a few younger ones coming along, but they’re very consistent those older horses and he’s in good form, so you’d be hoping for a good run.”

Paul Nicholls has a pair of contenders in Red Risk and the four-year-old Blueking D’Oroux.

Red Risk progressed from handicaps to finish second in the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle and will be ridden by Bryony Frost, with stable jockey Harry Cobden taking the ride on Coral Hurdle winner Blueking D’Oroux.

“He is an interesting contender and it’s encouraging that two four-year-olds have won this race in the past,” Nicholls said of the latter horse via Betfair.

“Trying this trip of three miles is a bit of a shot in the dark at this stage of his career and I’d be happier if he was a year older. But who knows how good he might be?

“He’s improving all the time and galloped on strongly all the way to the line in winning the Grade Two Coral Hurdle over two miles, three and a half furlongs at this track a month ago.”

Of Red Risk, the trainer added: “He ran a cracker on his seasonal debut at Wetherby, where he kept on in determined style to finish a close second behind Botox Has in the bet365 Hurdle, with two classy types behind him.

“That’s really smart form. Red Risk was only just touched off in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton in January and has the ability to run into a place.

Fergal O’Brien has a live chance in Crambo, last seen finishing third in a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock.

Though he was unable to get his head in front on that occasion, he still ran with plenty of promise – enough to encourage connections to take the step up to Grade One level.

“He carried an awful lot of weight at Haydock and beat some good horses,” O’Brien said of the run.

“On another day and with a bit more luck, he maybe would have won and we’re very happy with him.

“He has to step up but he’s trained very well since Haydock and we felt it’d be foolish not to give it a go, it will tell us a lot about where we want to go with him next.”

The Gary Moore duo of Botox Has and Goshen and Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Gowel Road complete the line up.