Champion Paisley Park faces field of stars in Long Distance Hurdle

3.00 NewburyLadbrokes Long Distance Hurdle (Grade 2) | 3m | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

One of last season's greatest stories starts a new chapter on Friday when Paisley Park launches his campaign in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

The seven-year-old and owner Andrew Gemmell captured the public imagination through a memorable 2018-19 campaign, when he won all five races, culminating in an emotional success under Aidan Coleman in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Paisley Park reappears in a race fit for a champion, taking on a former Stayers’ Hurdle winner and the horses who between them have landed this Grade 2 event for the last four years.

Trainer Emma Lavelle has warned there will be improvement to come from her stable star, who is racing for the first time in eight months.

But she stressed: "He's done plenty. He had a racecourse gallop and a race is what he needs now. He needs to go to the races and get his season started.

"It's going to be pretty testing out there and so it is going to put a bit more pressure on fitness. He did a lovely bit of work on Wednesday, Aidan came in and schooled him and we're ready to get started and see what happens."

More to read:

Paisley Park storms home for a fairytale Stayers' Hurdle victory

Gemmell maps out wide-ranging campaign for Stayers' Hurdle hero Paisley Park

Having another crack at this

Much has happened to Thistlecrack since he won this race in 2015, most of it good.

He went on to take the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham for Colin and Joe Tizzard that season and landed the King George VI Chase just nine months further on.

Though the 11-year-old has been restricted to just five outings in the last two seasons, he showed he retains plenty of ability when second in the Boxing Day showpiece last term and warms up here for another trip to Kempton.

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"Tom Scudamore came and gave him a school on Wednesday morning and he's right on track but this is very much part of his training for the King George," said Joe Tizzard, now assistant trainer.

"He's had a couple of away-days, which have sharpened him up, and he's ready to run.

"His home work is very good at the moment and he galloped well on Saturday, so if he can produce that on the track, there's certainly a bit of the old Thistlecrack in him; but we are expecting him to improve from this outing."

Credit: David Cramphorn

U know what you're going to get

Unowhatimeanharry turns up at this time of year as reliably as Black Friday and the John Lewis advert, although with rather less fuss.

Having won the Long Distance Hurdle in 2016 and 2018 and finished second in 2017, another big run is expected from this dependable stayer at a track where he made an early visit for a workout under JP McManus's former jockey Sir Anthony McCoy last week.

The 11-year-old is 6lb better off for the five lengths he was beaten by The Worlds End in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby.

Trainer Harry Fry said: "He seems in really good order. He has come out of Wetherby well and enjoyed his morning away at Newbury. He's obviously got a good record in the race, having won it twice and been runner-up on the other occasion.

"It's a pretty competitive renewal and it's going to be an intriguing race but I hope he can give another good account of himself."

New beginning for the End

The Worlds End is out to make autumn history, as no West Yorkshire Hurdle winner has landed this race since top-notch stayer Inglis Drever won both races in 2005.

Having spent most of last season over fences, he looked to relish a return to hurdling when beating Unowhatimeanharry by five lengths from the front at Wetherby.

Trainer Tom George said: "He had a lot of issues over the summer which we've put right and he really showed the benefit of that.

"He couldn't have done it more nicely and he's come out of that race in great form, so we thought we would stick to what we knew he was enjoying.

"I'm not saying he can't go back over fences at some stage, but he did it well at Wetherby and he should have improved for that, so we'll see where we stand."

Long time without Beer

Beer Goggles sprang a 40-1 shock when winning this for the late Richard Woollacott in 2017 and needs to defy the odds again this time.

He has run only once since that success, hanging badly right and finishing fifth at Cheltenham in January 2018, and his new trainer Nicky Martin said: "He had a small hole in a tendon.

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"He's had stem cell treatment and he's been amazing at home but you don't know how they are until they race. He's won this before but two years off is a long time.

"He had a racecourse gallop round Chepstow three weeks ago and that went very well, but the main thing is that he comes back fine."

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