Can Champ strike again on comeback? Key quotes for Long Distance Hurdle

Friday: 3.05 Newbury
Coral Long Distance Hurdle (Grade 2) | 3m | 4yo+ | ITV3/RTV

There are some old favourites lining up here and Paisley Park is back to contest the race for the fourth year in a row despite his finishing positions getting progressively worse each time.

Paisley Park was successful on his reappearance in 2019 the season after he won the Stayers' Hurdle, then finished second the following year when again coming off a summer break. He recorded his worst position last season after a prep run when only third to Thomas Darby.

Trainer Emma Lavelle brings the ten-year-old straight here this time around and it's 211 days since he was last seen at Punchestown. His record fresh suggests that shouldn't be a problem.

His highest Racing Post Rating last season was 10lb below his peak of 172, but that would be good enough to give him a chance here as it is only 1lb behind Champ's best of 163 and Paisley Park beat him when successful in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January.

The problem for both Paisley Park and Champ is their advancing years as Champ will himself be 11 at the turn of the year. However, Unowhatimeanharry won this aged ten four years ago and other recent winners, Celestial Halo and Big Buck's, were aged nine.

Dashel Drasher and Thomas Darby are both that age and Dashel Drasher is favoured by the weights receiving 6lb from last year's victor, who is penalised for his success 12 months ago.

Dashel Drasher was 30lb below his best chase form when winning a hurdle that fell apart at Aintree last month, though, and Thomas Darby definitely achieved more when second on his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby. The worry is he was thrashed ten lengths by Proschema.

That race developed into a speed test and Proschema did well to put so much distance between himself and Thomas Darby in the circumstances. However, there is a 6lb swing in Thomas Darby's favour and Proschema was a classy Flat horse, so a speed test suited him.

A stiffer stamina examination will pose a different question for Proschema, who carries a Class 1 penalty for the first time, and with Dashel Drasher sure to make the running and stayers like Champ and Paisley Park also wanting a test, there should be more of an emphasis on staying in this race than there was at Wetherby.

Tea Clipper completes the line-up and switches back to hurdles after a spell chasing. However, he is a 5lb better horse over fences on BHA ratings and has loads to find.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Champ chasing another return win

Champ is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles at Newbury from his novice days, the second victory coming in the Challow, and boasts an overall record of four wins and a second – over an inadequate 2m½f in the Game Spirit Chase – from five starts at the Berkshire track.

His record fresh is similarly impressive, boasting form figures of 121121 on his first start of the season, and his reappearance last term brought a fourth top-level success in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

Official ratings suggest he is marginally the one to beat, and jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr said: "He has a good record fresh and if he was to run to the level he produced at Ascot on his first start back last season you'd have to be hopeful.

"He likes it around Newbury and hopefully he can run a nice race. Proschema is an interesting one in opposition, while a few of the others beat one another last season."

Skelton unconcerned by Proschema penalty

Proschema is the improver in the field and arrives following a career-best performance when beating the reopposing Thomas Darby – last year's winner of this race – by ten lengths in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby last month.

A sound surface is ideal for this seven-year-old, who reached a peak rating of 105 on the Flat when trained by Tom Dascombe, and it can be argued he has yet to reach his full potential over this trip.

Proschema (left): beat Thomas Darby by ten lengths at WetherbyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Trainer Dan Skelton said: "He looks absolutely fantastic and the ground is ideal for him. He stepped up to another level at Wetherby. He's done it without a penalty and now he's got to carry one.

"He's yet to prove he can do that, but with the form he's in now and what he showed at Wetherby, that doesn't concern me. Wetherby seriously enhanced our opinion of what races we go for."

Paisley 'pretty chirpy' before return

Fans' favourite Paisley Park has taken in a different routine for his reappearance in this Grade 2 assignment.

A trip to the beach featured in his preparation and Paisley Park has won three times on his reappearance. He has form figures of 123 in this event and is just 1lb shy of top-rated Champ.

Emma Lavelle: has tinkered with Paisley Park's routineCredit: Edward Whitaker

Trainer Emma Lavelle said: "He's been such an absolute star for us and seems pretty chirpy at home coming into this. He's a clever horse and knows exactly how much he has to do to get to the top of our gallops, so we've tried a few different things with him this time.

"We normally take him to the media day at Newbury before this, but then you end up going back there ten days later, so we took him to the beach instead and he cantered on the sand and had a play in the sea.

"We wanted to keep him nice and fresh and we've done bits with him on the grass. He loves this good ground, but the problem is it enables the others to go quicker – it's a good race and competitive but we're very much looking forward to getting him back."

What they say

Olly Murphy, trainer of Thomas Darby
He'll run as long as it's safe ground. He produced a career-best performance in this last year and he'll have to do the same again. I think Proschema will be hard to beat and Champ is good on his day. A more truly run race would certainly be in our favour, though.

Jeremy Scott, trainer of Dashel Drasher
He has run and won on good ground but we will make sure it's safe ground. We're interested to see how he fares over this trip as he has shaped as if he would stay.

Tom Lacey, trainer of Tea Clipper
He runs because we were looking for an opportunity for him ahead of a winter break before the spring festivals. You can make a case for him if you take his chase mark, plus he hasn't got a penalty and that puts him somewhere near them.
Reporting by Jack Haynes

Friday's race previews:

1.55 Newbury: 'He likes the track and the ground is perfect' - analysis and trainer quotes

2.30 Newbury: Paint The Dream holds a class edge but may not have things his own way

3.40 Newbury: Shearer out to settle the score with Padleyourowncanoe in rematch

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