Popular stayer Paisley Park is raring to go and should shine in front of the Cheltenham hordes says trainer Emma Lavelle.

The 10-year-old has been a fixture on the long-distance scene since the 2018-19 season, when he was unbeaten in five runs and capped a superb term with victory at the Festival in the Stayers' Hurdle.

The following campaign was hampered by a heart problem but he recovered in 2020 to tussle with Philip Hobbs' top stayer Thyme Hill in Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle and Ascot's Long Walk Hurdle, with each horse taking a race apiece.

His 2021 Festival run ended in a not disgraced third-placed finish behind Flooring Porter and he began the current campaign with a string of further third-placed runs in the bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby, the Long Distance Hurdle and the Long Walk Hurdle.

A return to Cheltenham for the Cleeve Hurdle showed a renaissance, he looked ready to refuse to start as the tapes went up but was eventually cajoled by Aidan Coleman and remarkably inched his way into the race to beat Nicky Henderson's Champ by three and a quarter lengths.

Paisley Park heads to the Stayers' Hurdle on March 17 and is reportedly in top-notch nick.

"Touch wood he's in really good form, he's done everything we could have wanted from him up until this point," said Lavelle.
"Aidan's in tomorrow (Tuesday) to give him a pop over a hurdle and everything's gone well, we'll just keep all of our fingers crossed that he can continue in that vein all the way to Cheltenham."

Paisley Park has started as favourite for the past three runnings of the Grade 1 race, but this time around he looks unlikely to head the market as Flooring Porter, Klassical Dream, Thyme Hill and Champ are more fancied.

"It's lovely to have a favourite because they're the favourite on their form going in to it, but at the same time now we can just go there and enjoy it," Lavelle said.
"He's been such a star and his last run proved he still has the ability, we go there hopeful and just wanting to enjoy it."
Lavelle's stable star is owned by Andrew Gemmell, a popular and dedicated figure in the sport who was, like all owners, unable to watch his horse in action last season due to Covid-enforced restrictions at the track.
Gemmell will be in attendance this time, however, along with a full-strength crowd that Lavelle hopes will boost the chances of Paisley Park.
"I think for Paisley it's a positive, he loves the crowds and it gets his blood up," she said.
"The fact that the crowds are there again will be a big plus for him."
READ MORE: Cheltenham Festival 2022 guide: When is it, times, big races, top horses, trainers, jockeys and more.