All systems go for Paisley Park’s attempt at four Cleeve Hurdles

Emma Lavelle ‘so proud’ of her veteran campaigner.

Paisley Park is on course to attempt a fourth win in the McCoy Contractors Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 27.

Big Buck’s won the race twice while Lady Rebecca won three in a row from 1999-2001, but a victory for Emma Lavelle’s stalwart would see him stand alone as a four-time winner.

In two outings this year the 12-year-old has been beaten a head by Dashel Drasher at Newbury and a short head by the young pretender Crambo in the Long Walk Hurdle – a race which Paisley Park has also won three times in his stellar career.

“He’s great. He’s come out of the race (Long Walk) so well, he cantering away and I just can’t believe he’s run two such fantastic races and just got beaten in both of them,” Lavelle told Sky Sports Racing.

“We’re so proud of him. He’s just turned 12 and we’ll head to the Cleeve, all things being equal.

“It would be nice if he could just get his head in front there, to win the Cleeve four times would be extraordinary.

“I’ve always said he’ll tell us when he’s had enough and clearly his first two runs this year have shown us he hasn’t had enough.

“If he keeps running the way he is then I don’t see why we would necessarily retire him at the end of the season.

“We’ll keep going with him as long as he is happy to keep going and quite clearly at the moment he is very happy.”

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