Noble Yeats denies Paisley Park in Cleeve Hurdle thriller

Grand National winner holds off veteran star by a head.

Grand National winner Noble Yeats denied Paisley Park a fourth victory in the McCoy Contractors Cleeve Hurdle in a rousing finish at Cheltenham.

Trainer Emmet Mullins has proven time and again he is prepared to think outside the box and the 2022 Aintree hero was having just his third run over hurdles in this contest.

With regular jockey Sean Bowen currently on the sidelines, Harry Cobden stepped in for the ride and he looked to be going nowhere with half a mile to go as Dashel Drasher, Champ and Botox Has tried to run the finish out of the others.

The complexion of the race changed at the last though, as Noble Yeats (3-1), Paisley Park and Strong Leader, who was nearly detached at one point, came back into contention.

Noble Yeats found a few lengths after the last but Paisley Park was staying on relentlessly having been outpaced turning in.

However, despite the popular veteran’s best efforts, the line just came too soon and he went down by a head.

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