Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle
Grade 2, Cheltenham 15:35
£70,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
2m 7f 213y, Class 1  
Saturday 24th January 2026

1 Ma Shantou 5/2
2 Impose Toi EvsF
3 Doddiethegreat 10/1
6 ran Distances: 7l, 4½l, shd
Time: 6m 3.08s (slow by 17.08s)

Ma Shantou announced himself as a serious contender for the Stayers’ Hurdle with a commanding success at Cheltenham, in a performance that invited immediate comparison with a certain former stable star.

Emma Lavelle has walked this path before with Paisley Park, a three-time winner of this Grade Two who went on to Festival glory, and Ma Shantou now looks poised to follow in those footsteps. On a crisp afternoon at Prestbury Park, he delivered a display of authority that left little room for doubt.

Ben Jones, stepping in for the injured Harry Cobden, rode with patience and purpose, clearly confident he had plenty left for the climb. Impose Toi briefly threatened to mount a challenge, but it soon faded, and once Jones pressed the button, Ma Shantou surged clear. Sent off at 5-2, he bounded up the hill to score by seven lengths, a margin that spoke loudly of his dominance.

The reaction in the betting ring was immediate, with Coral and Paddy Power trimming him to 8-1 from 50s for the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Lavelle, understandably buoyant, reflected on what she had witnessed. “He was an easier watch than Paisley and stayers are just lovely as they are much more straightforward generally and his attitude, he just sticks his head down and just gallops.

“He was impressive, he jumped, travelled and did everything right so he clearly doesn’t want to be staying in handicaps.

“He’s answered plenty of questions emphatically and today has been the most impressive he’s been and as soon as Ben gave him a click off he went. In my wildest dreams I wasn’t expecting him to be that impressive.

“The one thing I’ve always said about him is his way of racing is befitting of a genuine stayer and he’s just gone and done that beautifully today.

“One of the things I love about this horse is he loves Cheltenham more than anywhere else and if you are going to have a horse who loves a particular course, then Cheltenham is not a bad course to pick.

“Why has he improved the way he has? I think he’s maturing, enjoying it and loves Cheltenham.

“I was unbelievably lucky to have one like Paisley Park and to think I’ve got another one that may be heading in that direction, I feel very spoilt and we’re going to enjoy this journey as well.”

Pertemps Network Cleeve Hurdle
£70,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 7f 213y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Ma Shantou 7 11-2 Emma Lavelle Ben Jones 5/2
2 7 Impose Toi 8 11-8 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville EvsF
3 4½ Doddiethegreat 10 11-6 Nicky Henderson Freddie Gordon 10/1
4 shd Gowel Road 10 11-8 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies Sam Twiston-Davies 20/1
5 11 Kamsinas 9 11-2 Fergal O'Brien Liam Harrison 40/1
6 22 Strong Leader 9 11-8 Olly Murphy Sean Bowen 9/2

BoyleSports

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 10/11f
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
2022 Paisley Park Andrew Gemmell Emma Lavelle 10 11-06 Aidan Coleman 5/1
2023 Gold Tweet Agv Karwin Stud, Gabriel Leenders Et Al Gabriel Leenders 6 11-02 Johnny Charron 14/1
2024 Noble Yeats Robert Waley-Cohen Emmet Mullins 9 11-02 Harry Cobden 3/1
2025 Gowel Road Options O Syndicate Nigel Twiston-Davies 9 11-02 Sam Twiston-Davies 5/2F

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