Paisley Park lands first Group 1 for Lavelle and Coleman

Emma Lavelle believes Paisley Park “will improve” and has set her sights on the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after landing the first Grade 1 of her training career in the JLT Hurdle at Ascot.

The six-year-old had flown home in a handicap at Haydock last time and he showed his turn of foot again in an incident-packed renewal of the race better known as the Long Walk Hurdle.

Last year’s winner Sam Spinner unseated jockey Joe Colliver at the second flight and at the same hurdle on the next circuit, 2016 winner Unowhatimeanharry departed.

READ MORE: BHA forced to row back on CEO Nick Rust’s whip use comments

The field were packed two out, but Aidan Coleman’s mount was always going well and he jumped the last in front just ahead of West Approach.

The two pulled clear and Paisley Park (8/1) drew away for a two-length success, with Top Notch finishing third.

Lavelle said: “I think he will get better. He has posted a personal best today, so we just have to hope he keeps going the right way.

“Barry (Fenton, former jockey and partner) rides him all the time, and he kept saying to me bit by bit ‘this bit of work is better than the last bit’.

“I’m going to draw a line through Cheltenham last year. That was what was scaring me today about the ground, because he didn’t handle it in the Albert Bartlett – but I think he wasn’t right, rather than it was Cheltenham or the ground.“

It was also a first Grade 1 winner for jockey Aidan Coleman, one of the stalwarts of the weighing room.

Coleman said: “It’s such a relief.

“I’ve been riding an awful long time and I hadn’t had one.

“I never thought it was on my mind – I’m not far off 1,000 winners – but 50 yards from the line I finally realised what a monkey it was on my back.

“It’s great to win – but I’m almost embarrassed it’s taken me this long.”

The rapidly improving Paisley Park is now a 14/1 chance with GentingBet for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 14.

Coleman added: “He needed to step up again today, and he did, but he doesn’t do much in front – and I got there far too soon. To be fair, today he didn’t pull up too much – he’s just a good horse.”

Paisley Park’s owner Andrew Gemmell was the driving force behind moving up to Grade 1 level.

“Andrew owns on him on his own, and he means a lot to him,” added Lavelle.

“It has been his plan from the start – the three-mile handicap at Haydock, then here. I just did what I was told.

“Andrew said to me at the store sales, ‘I want you to buy a horse, and here is some money to do it’.

“When we came back and had not spent all the money, I think there was a tinge of disappointment I hadn’t spent it on this amazing horse.

“(But) he has finished up being a super horse for Andrew and us – it’s our first Grade One, and Aidan’s first Grade One, and Andrew’s.

“Andrew told me it was 82 days until the Stayers’ Hurdle, so we’ll work back from there!”