For the first time since his unforgettable success in the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, Paisley Park is likely to start at odds-against when he returns to action at Newbury on Friday, eight months after losing his staying crown to Lisnagar Oscar, a 50-1 shot, in one of the biggest Festival upsets of recent years.
In part, the sponsor’s quote of 15-8 for the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle reflects the quality of the field lining up against Paisley Park for the feature event on the first day of Newbury’s Winter Carnival meeting. Four of his nine opponents are previous Grade One winners and all four are a bigger price to win on Friday than the 5-2 shot McFabulous, who took the Grade Two Persian War Hurdle on a tight rein last time out.
But in addition to beating a strong field first time up, Paisley Park also needs to convince his many fans that an irregular heartbeat which contributed to his defeat in March is in the past.
After he had carried all before him for nearly two seasons while compiling a seven-race winning streak, it was bitterly disappointing to see the eight-year-old surrender his stayers’ title so meekly but Andrew Gemmell, his owner, is confident the old Paisley Park will be back.
“He’s come out of his trials and tribulations with his heart since Cheltenham very well,” Gemmell said. “Emma [Lavelle, his trainer] is very pleased with him. The proof will be in the pudding but everything has gone well at home so far. He also lost two shoes [at Cheltenham] and he didn’t finish that far behind the winner.
“It’s a terrific race on Friday, with Thyme Hill, McFabulous, Lisnagar Oscar, and we’re the one to be shot at now.
“McFabulous won very easily but a couple of the horses behind him haven’t run so well next time out so I think the jury’s still out on him. I’m pretty worried about Thyme Hill [the Grade One Challow Hurdle winner] and Sam Spinner [also a former Grade One winner] is in there too, which is a bit of a surprise. It’s a top-notch race.”
Assuming that all goes well, Paisley Park will tread a familiar route back towards Cheltenham in March, though hopefully without a repeat of his last-minute scratching from the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot owing to heavy ground last year.
Southwell 11.50 Grimsthorpe Castle 12.20 Ustath (nap) 12.50 Byzantia 1.20 Gravity Force 1.50 Liamba 2.20 Atalanta Queen 2.50 Geography Teacher 3.20 Grand Pianola
Lingfield Park 12.33 Alka Step 1.03 Tribesmans Glory 1.33 Deebaj 2.03 Away For Slates 2.33 The Mick Preston 3.03 La Reine Poutine 3.33 Silent Man
Taunton 12.41 Runswick Bay 1.11 Nobel Joshua 1.41 Lex Eleven 2.11 Kauto The King (nb) 2.41 Dave And Bernie 3.11 De Barley Basket 3.41 Sehayli
Chelmsford 4.00 Isla Vista 4.30 Torrkee
5.00 Intuitive 5.30 Ayr Harbour 6.00 Cosmelli 6.30 Anisoptera 7.00 Double Reflection
“The plan would be the Long Walk [in December], the Cleeve [Hurdle at Cheltenham in January] and then back there for the Stayers’,” Gemmell said. “He’ll be nine next March but that’s not a problem, not when you see a horse like Unowhatimeanharry winning at Aintree the other day at 12.”
Paisley Park’s recovery was overseen by Celia Marr, a specialist in equine cardiology whose patients have included the great Sprinter Sacre. Nicky Henderson’s chaser had won 10 in a row over fences when he was pulled up at Kempton in December 2013 after suffering a fibrillating heart but ended his career with two Grade One wins in the spring of 2016.
“He had to have a heart monitor put on him for a couple of weeks and that was monitored at the yard and we’ve still got all that [data] if we need it in future,” Gemmell said.
“Celia is the top expert in Newmarket, so he was in very good hands. I wondered about how much the bill would be for a heart specialist but it wasn’t half as bad as I thought and, of course, he’s worth it.”