Progressive Paisley Park set to crown fine season

The Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle is today’s feature race and Paisley Park can crown a flawless campaign by landing the spoils for trainer Emma Lavelle and jockey Aidan Coleman. With a 13th place finish in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, Paisley Park wouldn’t have been on too many people’s radar for this race at the start of the season but has gone from strength to strength since making a winning reappearance in an Aintree handicap last October.

And to prove that result wasn’t a once off he produced a storming finish a month later to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a Haydock Grade Three. The Grade One JLT Hurdle at Ascot – the Long Walk Hurdle in old money – was his next port of call and he rose to that challenge to give Lavelle and Coleman a first top-level success. That was a terrific effort but it was his victory over today’s course and distance in the Cleeve Hurdle in late January that provided conclusive proof he’s the real deal.