Lavelle: Kempton not ideal, but Paisley Park ready to go

Rematch with Champ in store in rearranged Long Walk.

Emma Lavelle admits the change of venue is not ideal for Paisley Park ahead of his bid for a third Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Victorious in the Grade One contest in 2018 and 2020, the 10-year-old was all set to bid for the hat-trick at Ascot last weekend before freezing temperatures led to the meeting being abandoned.

Lavelle is grateful the race has been rearranged to take place on the King George undercard, but equally is fully aware the less taxing nature of Kempton is more of a negative than a positive.

“It will definitely not play to his strengths. As a track the emphasis is not on stamina and for him, if we could have a three-and-a-quarter-mile hurdle it would be even better,” said the trainer.

“It clearly isn’t ideal, but the fact the race has been rescheduled is a big plus, otherwise we’d be stuck as to where we do go.

“I’m grateful it has been rescheduled and I’m really happy with how he is.”

What is giving Lavelle hope Paisley Park’s stamina could yet come to the fore is the presence of two confirmed front-runners in Gary Moore’s Goshen and the Hughie Morrison-trained Not So Sleepy, both of whom will be tackling three miles for the first time.

“It is a very different test to Ascot, but if they go a right gallop, which looking at the field they probably will, you would hope that might just make it more of a test than it could be,” Lavelle added.

“I’m not jumping up and down that the race is at Kempton, but the thing about Paisley is he’s surprised me so many times in his career that he might say ‘what do you mean it won’t suit me, I love Kempton!’.”

Also set to be in opposition are Paisley Park’s familiar foe Champ, who beat him by just a neck in their latest thrilling clash in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last month, and course and distance winner Miranda.

Lavelle said: “It’s an interesting one with Not So Sleepy and Goshen both stepping up significantly in trip.

“Miranda clearly showed when she stepped up in trip she was a totally different animal, but it is very different running in Grade Ones than it is running in that lower grade.”

Paisley Park has proven himself versatile ground-wise over the course of a career that has so far yielded 10 wins.

That being said, Lavelle would be happy to see the heavens open between now and the big day.

Emma Lavelle at Cheltenham
Emma Lavelle at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

“Paisley will handle any ground and stamina on softer ground comes to the fore, especially on a track like Kempton,” she added.

“The only ground that Paisley doesn’t like is sticky, gluey ground – almost that drying out ground.

“He showed at Newbury he still handles quicker ground and for me personally I probably would prefer it wetter as that would make it tougher for the others.

“As long as it’s one or the other, and not sticky ground, I think he’ll be absolutely fine – but for me, especially round Kempton, I think the more rain the better.”

One potential flaw in Paisley Park’s make-up could be at the start, having on occasion proved reluctant to jump off with the rest of the field.

He memorably got left in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham earlier this year, only to stage a remarkable recovery and come back and win. Lavelle is hopeful those antics are a thing of the past.

She said: “The thing about Paisley is at home, he’ll never question going anywhere – he’ll just get on with it.

“On the track Aidan (Coleman, jockey) knows it can be part of his entertainment and even at Newbury last time he was very quick to make sure he had him going forward.

“Paisley just sucked him in at Cheltenham that day and suggested he was going to jump, went forward ands then Paisley went ‘I’ve got you this time!’. I just think Aidan won’t let that happen again.

“The thing about him is you just don’t know what curveball he’s going to throw you next, but hopefully the messing about at the start will be under control.”

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