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EMMA Lavelle is hoping Paisley Park brings his ‘A game’ as he bids to regain his Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle crown on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Lavelle’s stable star looked the top staying hurdler around when notching up seven wins in a row, the highlight being his victory in the Grade One feature at Prestbury Park in 2019.
But he was found to be suffering from a heart problem when only finishing a disappointing seventh in the defence of his crown in last year’s renewal.
The nine-year-old, though, has bounced back to near his best this season, when second to Thyme Hill in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, before reversing the form in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
And Lavelle is hopeful he can land a second victory in the Stayers’ Hurdle today.
She said: “He’s done everything he needs to. He’s in really good order. Now we’ve got to bring our A game to the track on the day.
“Everything has gone as we wanted. The Cleeve did not happen, but that’s how it was. He’s had a racecourse gallop since then. He’s ticked over really well and, touch wood, he seems in good form. These races are always going to be competitive. It’s sad that his sparring partner of this season (Thyme Hill) isn’t going to be there but, hopefully, it will all go to plan.
“The first year when he was winning and everything went to plan, it was just very smooth, very easy and just brilliant.
“Last year we had to do a bit more work with him. This year he seems like he was in his first year. He’s stronger and very up much up for everything we’ve asked of him, so hopefully it will go smoothly in the race as well.”
With Thyme Hill ruled out due to injury, last year’s shock winner – the Rebecca Curtis-trained Lisnagar Oscar – is one of the main challengers to Paisley Park after his recent second at Haydock Park.
Denise Foster – who took over already this week – leads the Irish challenge with three runners.
Fury Road is joined by dual Pertemps Final winner Sire Du Berlais and another Cheltenham Festival scorer, The Storyteller, who is also still entered in the Randox Grand National.
Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter won a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas and is another Irish raider along with Willie Mullins’ Bacardys and the Neol Meade-trained Beacon Edge.
Another interesting contender is Harry Fry’s If The Cap Fits, who won the equivalent race – formerly the Liverpool Hurdle – at Aintree’s Grand National meeting two years ago.
WITH rival Thyme Hill out, PAISLEY PARK can regain his crown in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3.05pm), the feature on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Emma Lavelle’s staying star won the Grade One three-mile contest at the 2019 Festival, but could only finish seventh when defending his crown 12 months ago.
Having been on a sevenrace winning run, it appeared that maybe time was catching up with him.
But he returned to action refreshed and although he was beaten by ‘new kid on the block’ Thyme Hill in the Grade Two Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on his seasonal return in November, he looked to be getting back to his best.
He was only beaten a length-and-a-quarter and turned the tables on the Philip Hobbs’ seven-year-old at Ascot next time.
Paisley Park beat Thyme Hill by a neck in the Porsche Long Walk Hurdle, showing his battling qualities to get up on the line in the Grade One contest.
It was meant to be the decider, but with Thyme Hill on the sidelines and likely to return at the Randox Grand
National Festival at Aintree Racecourse next month, the path is clear for Paisley Park to score. Paisley Park has three course wins and he can just prevail, with last year’s surprise winner Lisnagar Oscar likely to make the frame at least.
ENVOI ALLEN looks the one they all have to beat in the opener on the third day, the Grade One Marsh Novices’ Chase (1.20pm). Formerly trained by the disgraced and banned Gordon Elliott, the seven-year-old is unbeaten in 11 starts and is now in the care of Henry De Bromhead.
The switch to chasing has been a smooth one with three convincing victories. And the move to a new stable won’t change anything as Envoi Allen can win at the Festival for a third year in a row.
Another former winner here, IMPERIAL AURA, can score again in the Grade One Ryanair Chase (2.30pm). Kim Bailey’s eight-year-old won the Listed Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase last year. And he would be a warm favourite here if he had completed a hat-trick of wins this season at Kempton last time.
But an uncharacteristic error at the second fence in the Grade Two Silviniaco Novices’ Chase in January saw him unseat David Bass.
That was a surprise as he is a fine jumper. If there is no loss of confidence – and there shouldn’t be – from that mishap, he can land back-toback wins at the Festival.
Warren Greatrex’s BOB MAHLER was third in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Sponsored by the JRL Group) (4.50pm) last year.
He may be able to go a couple of places better this time.
He is 3lb lower than last year’s handicap mark and made a return to the form when third in the four-mile Edinburgh Grand National at Musselburgh – a race he won 12 months ago – recently.
Bob Mahler is a real dour stayer and if he can build on that recent run he will be in the mix again, with Grand National entrant Deise Aba one of the chief dangers.
CHAMPAGNE PLATINUM can win the ultra-competitive Grade Three Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (1.55pm), with Irish raider The Bosses Oscar also in the mix.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained A WAVE OF THE SEA can back up his 2m 1f handicap victory at Leopardstown with another, stepped up to 2m4f in the Grade Three Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase (3.40pm).
Jonathan Sweeney’s ROSEYS HOLLOW, can bring up a third straight win in the Grade Two Parnell Properties Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (4.15pm).