Long Run – The French Horse Who Shook Up National Hunt Racing

Last Updated on January 2, 2026

Long Run was the French-bred chaser who crossed the Channel, took on the established stars, and for a few seasons changed the shape of the staying chase scene.

For many racing fans, his Cheltenham Gold Cup win and two King George victories still mark the moment a young talent pushed past two giants of the modern era, Kauto Star and Denman.

Background and pedigree

Foaled in 2005, Long Run was bred in France by Marie-Christine Gabeur and always kept that touch of French style in the way he raced. His sire, Cadoudal, produced plenty of good jumpers, and his dam Libertina was a tough mare by Balsamo. The pedigree was all about stamina and grit, and Long Run grew into exactly the type of horse you would expect from such a family.

Bought by Robert Waley-Cohen, he ran in the familiar orange and brown colours, with the owner’s son Sam taking the ride. It would become one of the most talked-about partnerships of the modern era, with an amateur rider trusted to steer one of the most gifted chasers of his generation.

Before he ever set foot on a British racecourse, Long Run had already shown plenty in France. As a young horse he was forward and classy, good enough to win at the top level over fences at only four. That sort of early form is rare for a future three-mile chaser and hinted strongly at what was to come.

Training and early races

The switch to Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows proved inspired. Henderson was already known for training sharp hurdlers and quick novice chasers, but Long Run gave him a genuine staying prospect with the potential to take him into the top bracket of Gold Cup trainers.

Long Run arrived for the 2009 to 2010 season and wasted no time showing his talent. His standout early run came in the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton in December 2009, where he jumped boldly and won with real authority. It was the first clear sign that Henderson had something special.

The choice to keep Sam Waley-Cohen in the saddle was a constant talking point. At a time when top chasers were almost always ridden by professionals, the sight of an amateur on a horse with such raw ability sparked plenty of pub chat and racecourse debate.

As he moved out of novice company, his power sometimes ran ahead of his concentration. Long Run could be keen at his fences and occasionally untidy, especially when compared with the machine-like rhythm of Kauto Star. But the engine was never in doubt. You only had to watch him for a couple of furlongs to see the depth of his ability.

Major racing wins and highlights

Everything changed in the winter of 2010 to 2011, when weather delays pushed the King George VI Chase into January. Facing Kauto Star, who was chasing a fifth win in the race, Long Run produced a superb performance to claim his first major English prize. It was the clearest sign yet that the old order was under threat.

Two months later came Cheltenham. Sent off a fancied runner in the 2011 Gold Cup, Long Run delivered the run of his life. He travelled strongly, jumped well when it mattered, and outstayed both Denman and Kauto Star up the hill. At six years old he became the youngest Gold Cup winner since Mill House in 1963, and he did it in a time that spoke to a strong, even pace throughout.

For Sam Waley-Cohen it was a moment of genuine racing history. He became the first amateur to win the Gold Cup since 1981. The story quickly grew into one of the most replayed and retold Festival moments of the decade.

At his peak Long Run reached a Timeform figure of 184, placing him squarely among the top staying chasers of the modern National Hunt period. That was backed up by more good runs, most notably his third place in the 2012 Gold Cup and a thrilling second win in the King George later that year, when he battled home to beat Captain Chris in a tight finish.

By the end of his main career he had won around £1.5 million in prize money and taken 15 victories under Rules from a little over 30 starts. His haul included the Gold Cup, two King Georges and top-level wins in both France and Britain. It was a record any owner or trainer would be proud of.

In the following years he was campaigned with ambition, returning to Cheltenham for more Gold Cup attempts and even having a go at the Grand National fences at Aintree. He did not add another Grade 1, but he never shied away from a challenge.

Ongoing legacy in racing

Long Run was eventually retired after a short spell in hunter chases, signing off with a run at Carlisle in March 2016. His record of 15 wins and more than a dozen placed efforts tells the story of a horse who stayed sound, kept his appetite for racing, and delivered top-class form over several seasons.

His legacy runs in a few directions. On pure race results he stands as a Gold Cup and dual King George winner with ratings that put him firmly among the best staying chasers of the last twenty years. For Nicky Henderson, he ended a long wait for a first Gold Cup winner.

For the Waley-Cohen family he was a once-in-a-lifetime horse. Owner-rider partnerships at this level are almost unheard of today, which made every big win feel even more personal. Many racing fans remember cheering him home simply because they liked the story.

Long Run also changed views about French-bred stayers. He came from a different system, adapted quickly to the British pace and style of racing, and proved he could handle the biggest stages at Kempton and Cheltenham against two of the toughest rivals the sport has known.

Ask fans to list their standout Gold Cup moments and his win in 2011 is never far from the top. He beat two legends at an age when most chasers are still learning their craft, and he did it with a rider who did not take payment for the ride.

Long Run may not have the longest list of Grade 1 victories, but that hardly matters. He showed that a young horse can rise fast, that the established stars can be toppled, and that a family partnership can still triumph at the highest level. For a sport built on stories, that remains his lasting mark.