Paisley Park in top shape for weekend assignment
‘He’s definitely a bit sharper all round since he ran at Cheltenham’.
Emma Lavelle reports Paisley Park firmly on course for a likely rematch with Thyme Hill in the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at Aintree. The Philip Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill came out on top when the pair first met in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November, before Lavelle’s stable star reversed the form in an epic Long Walk at Ascot the following month. A third clash was on the cards in last month’s Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but Thyme Hill missed the race through injury, while Paisley Park had to settle for an honourable third in his bid to regain his crown. The pair are among 18 entries for this weekend’s Grade One contest.Lavelle said: “Paisley Park is very much an intended runner on Saturday. He’s in good form and it’s all systems go. “Aintree is obviously a different type of track to Cheltenham, but I’m very happy with how he is and I’m looking forward to the rematch with Thyme Hill and a few others. “He’s won over two and a half miles at Aintree and I don’t think tracks really matter to him, to be honest. “He’s definitely a bit sharper all round since he ran at Cheltenham, so hopefully it will work out on Saturday.”
Nico de Boinville becomes the only current jockey to win the race twice
Shishkin is the mightily impressive 2021 @SportingLife Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase winner#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/H0DZcbc9i0 — CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 16, 2021
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