Crambo slashed into 8-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham after downing Paisley Park at Ascot

PASSING the torch, changing of the guard… whatever your cliche, it was Crambo at Crimbo in the Long Walk Hurdle.

The old boys Paisley Park, Dashel Drasher and Champ all played their part, but the younger legs prevailed in Ascot’s Grade 1.

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Crambo (right) won an epic renewal of the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot[/caption]

It’s not often the gigantic grandstand here is packed out during the winter, but a huge crowd rocked up hoping to be served an early Christmas treat.

And the three-mile hurdlers didn’t disappoint in comfortably the best finish to any big race so far this season.

There has been a spikiness to winning trainer Fergal O’Brien this week after his controversial decision to ditch young jockey Conor Brace in favour of Johnny Burke.

He preferred Burke’s experience at the top-level and, as harsh as it might have been on Brace, O’Brien will feel his wielding of the axe was vindicated.

Mind you, it looked for all the world after the final hurdle that dear old Paisley Park, who turns 12 in a few days, would win this race for a record-equalling fourth time.

He’d travelled as sweetly as he ever has all the way around on the inside under Tom Bellamy, tracking the pace set by the likeable Dashel Drasher.

And when he edged into a narrow lead on the run-in you thought it was curtains for the rest of them.

But Crambo has clearly been watching and learning from the old guard as he rallied bravely to win by the shortest of short-heads.

He was slashed into 8-1 from 20s with the sponsors for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and O’Brien said: “That’s the best I’ve seen him travel and jump through a race.

“Fair play to Paisley Park, he has gone down on his sword, but this horse is unbelievably tough, he never knows when he is beat.

“I won’t hide behind the owners and it is nothing against Conor Brace, but it was my decision to change the jockey and that was that.

“This is just the second Grade 1 of my career so I’m going to enjoy it, but you have to say he is bang up there in the Stayers’ Hurdle division now.”

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