Welsh Marches Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Cheltenham 14:30 £70,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 7f 213y, Class 1  |
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1 Paisley Park 5/1
2 Champ 8/15F
3 Lisnagar Oscar 14/1
5 ran Distances: 3¼l, 6l, 15l
Time: 5m 58.53s (slow by 12.53)
Paisley Park wins a third successive Grade 2 Welsh Marches Stallions At @ChapelStud Cleeve Hurdle, storming home to score under @AidanColeman for trainer @ELavelleracing pic.twitter.com/ylGEOSv36h https://t.co/y7JyqWZM7m via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) January 30, 2022
The Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park won the staying feature in both 2019 and 2020 before his 2021 bid for a treble was scuppered due to waterlogging – and this latest tilt looked well and truly blighted, too, as he spun round and lost lengths on the field.
Gradually eased back into it by Aidan Coleman, the 5-1 chance – winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2019 – jumped the last level with 8-15 favourite Champ and powered up the hill to register a three-and-a-quarter-length success that had at one stage looked an impossibility.
“He’s tried that a few times, he has that in him – I was waiting for him and he still did it. I thought I was doing enough, but he’s just probably getting a bit older and a bit wiser,” Coleman said of Paisley Park’s start.
“He’s a very good horse, people have been writing him off this year. This is really special, the longevity of this horse is just a testament to his ability and his character. This is his track, I know he’s won two Long Walks at Ascot, but he’s won three Cleeves now and a Stayers’.
“I said to Paddy (Brennan) at the top of the hill that I was still in it, even though I’d whipped around. They weren’t getting away from me and I knew he’d hit the line. He’s just different around this track, regardless of what goes before or after, this is just very special.
“It’s very special for a multitude of reasons, mainly just how much of a champion he is.”
Owner Andrew Gemmell was unable to be present, but Lavelle said: “It’s really emotional, just because of the support that we get from everyone for Paisley, and what he’s done for us and how hard he tries.
“He came here in great order and Andrew not being able to be here today was a sadness, but he’s very chirpy now in his hospital bed!
“He (Paisley Park) wears his heart on his sleeve and despite missing the start, he was able to make the ground up and he kept galloping – it was vintage Paisley.
“He makes it hard to watch and people have really rallied round him and supported him. We’re so lucky to be part of him – he’s a special horse.
“It would be nice to win the Stayers’ Hurdle again – in a slightly straightforward manner would be nice!
“I’m very happy with what he’s done today and it’s all systems go for the Festival.”
She added: “I loved the way he travelled for much of the race today. They quickened and I though ‘uh, oh’, but then the camera shot changed and I thought ‘Oh my God, we’re coming!’.
“From there he galloped all the way up the hill and I’m afraid I probably lost it at that point.
“There’s nothing like having a winner at Cheltenham, at any Cheltenham meeting. You get that noise when you come back in, which we missed so much during Covid.
“Coming in here today, it almost felt like the Festival and it means so much.
“If there is ever a horse to be willed up the hill it’s probably him. It was stamina-sapping ground and that was proper Paisley today, which we haven’t seen for a while.
“We never lost faith in him as he’s always shown us the same at home. The tongue-tie has definitely been a help and Ascot was a big step in the right direction.
“Today was a big step again and hopefully he can keep it going.”
MansionBet make Paisley Park 13-2 to regain his Stayers’ Hurdle crown, with Champ out to 5-1 from 11-4.
Henderson was gracious in defeat, saying: “He’s just got a bit tired. I’d like to say this is trials day and not the day, but he didn’t quite travel like he did at Ascot. We’ll regroup. I don’t think it changes the plan. We’ve got to look at a couple of things – look at what, I don’t know.
“One thing you have to say that is a remarkable performance by the winner and a fantastic performance by Emma and all her team.
“Fair credit to them. To get him back from where he’s been is pretty remarkable.”
Welsh Marches Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle
£70,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 7f 213y, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good
1 Paisley Park 10 11-6 Emma Lavelle Aidan Coleman 5/1
2 3¼ Champ 10 11-6 Nicky Henderson Jonjo O'Neill Jr 8/15F
3 6 Lisnagar Oscar 9 11-0 Rebecca Curtis Adam Wedge 14/1
4 15 McFabulous 8 11-6 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 5/1
5 56 Dandy Mag 9 11-0 Fergal O'Brien Paddy Brennan 50/1
Year Horse Owner Trainer Weight Jockey SP
1990 Beech Road Tony Geake Toby Balding 8-12-00 Richard Guest 1/3 f
1991 Crystal Spirit Paul Mellon Ian Balding 4-10-09 Jimmy Frost 4/1
1992 Abandoned
1993 Muse White Horse Racing Ltd David Elsworth 6-11-08 Paul Holley 11/4
1994 Flakey Dove John Price Richard Price 8-11-03 Richard Dunwoody 4/1 cf
1995 Mudahim K W Bell Chris Broad 9-11-08 Norman Williamson 13/2
1996 Abandoned
1997 Large Action Brian Stewart-Brown Oliver Sherwood 9-11-08 Jamie Osborne 8/15 f
1998 Mistinguett John Duggan Nigel Twiston-Davies 6-11-03 Carl Llewellyn 100/30
1999 Lady Rebecca Kinnersley Optimists Venetia Williams 7-11-03 Norman Williamson 6/4 f
2000 Lady Rebecca Kinnersley Optimists Venetia Williams 8-11-03 Norman Williamson Evens f
2001 Lady Rebecca Kinnersley Optimists Venetia Williams 9-11-03 Norman Williamson 7/1
2002 Kates Charm Norma Kelly Robert Alner 9-11-03 Mick Fitzgerald 3/1
2003 Classified David Johnson Martin Pipe 7-11-08 Tony McCoy 8/11 f
2004 Crystal D’Ainay Tony & Jeni Fisher Alan King 5-11-04 Jimmy McCarthy Evens f
2005 Patriarch Express A W Muir Sue Smith 8-11-00 Jim Culloty 8/1
2006 Fire Dragon Gay Smith Jonjo O’Neill 5-11-00 Tony McCoy 16/1
2007 Blazing Bailey Three Line Whip Alan King 5-11-00 Robert Thornton 14/1
2008 Inglis Drever Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson 9-11-08 Richard Johnson 11/8 f
2009 Big Buck’s The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls 6-11-00 Ruby Walsh 7/2
2010 Tidal Bay Andrea & Graham Wylie Howard Johnson 6-11-00 Brian Hughes 14/1
2011 Grands Crus Roger Stanley & Yvonne Reynolds III David Pipe 6-11-04 Tom Scudamore 2/1 f
2012 Big Buck’s The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls 9-11-08 Ruby Walsh 1/4 f
2013 Reve De Sivola Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership Nick Williams 8-11-08 Richard Johnson 15/8 f
2014 Knockara Beau Alistair Charlton George Charlton 11-11-00 Jan Faltejsek 66/1
2015 Saphir Du Rheu The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls 6-11-04 Sam Twiston-Davies 3/1
2016
Thistlecrack John & Heather Snook Colin Tizzard 8-11-08 Tom Scudamore 4/5f
2017 Unowhatimeanharry J P McManus Harry Fry 9-11-08 Barry Geraghty 10/11 f
2018 Agrapart The Gascoigne Brookes P’ship Nick Williams 7-11-06 Lizzie Kelly 9/1
2019 Paisley Park Andrew Gemmell Emma Lavelle 7-11-06 Aidan Coleman 100/30f
2020 Paisley Park Andrew Gemmell Emma Lavelle 8-11-06 Aidan Coleman 4/6f
2021 ABANDONED
