'It's very different in Grade 1s' - Lavelle warns Paisley Park's young rivals

Emma Lavelle believes there is plenty of life left in Paisley Park and Champ – the established stars of the British staying-hurdle scene – and warns that several of their younger rivals in the rearranged Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle on Monday (12.45) will need to take another step forward.

After being rescheduled following the loss of last Saturday's Ascot card to frozen ground, the first of four Grade 1s on Kempton's card features Miranda, an impressive winner for Paul Nicholls on her first attempt at three miles last month, as well as Not So Sleepy and Goshen, neither of whom have tackled such a marathon test.

"It's an interesting thing with Not So Sleepy and Goshen stepping up significantly in trip," said Paisley Park's trainer. "Miranda showed that stepping up in trip she is clearly a different animal.

Miranda: won a mares' Listed race over course and distance in NovemberCredit: Edward Whitaker

"But it is very different running in Grade 1s than it is running in lower grades or handicaps. So it will be interesting as she [Miranda] could be anything."

Lavelle told a Jockey Club Racecourses media call: "Champ and Paisley have lined up against each other four times now. It's a very different race to those he [Paisley Park] has experienced before and he'll have to run to his absolute best to be winning a race like that on a track like that but who knows?"

Lavelle said she had been "thrilled and gutted" with her star's comeback effort in the Long Distance Hurdle last month, after the 2019 Stayers' Hurdle winner failed by just a neck to reel in Champ following a duel up the Newbury straight.

For a horse who is known to come off the bridle when the pace of a race hots up before staying on stoutly, Paisley Park travelled extremely sweetly for Aidan Coleman that day.

Lavelle admits a speed-favouring track such as Kempton is less than ideal when compared to the stiff finish at Ascot or his favourite hill at Cheltenham but still believes Paisley Park is primed for a big run.

And while Coleman will be alert to any repeat of his mount's antics when he almost refused to race in the Cleeve Hurdle last January – a race he still somehow pulled out of the fire to win at Champ's expense – the trainer does not believe the horse has run out of surprises for her just days before he turns 11.

Champ just holds off Paisley Park at Newbury last monthCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

"I'm grateful that it has been rescheduled and I'm really happy with how he is," said Lavelle. "It's a very different test but he does seem really happy in himself and how he travelled round Newbury last time is probably better than he's travelled for a while.

"If they go a right gallop – which I think looking at the field they probably will – you would hope that might just make it more of a test than it could be. I'm not jumping up and down and saying, 'Yippee we're at Kempton' for him because I just think it probably doesn't play to his strengths.

"But the thing about Paisley is that he has surprised me so many times in his career that you can never ever say he won't go, 'What do you mean this doesn't suit me, I love Kempton!' You just never know."

Lavelle said of his spirited display at Newbury: "I was kind of surprised at just how well he did run. I was absolutely thrilled – thrilled and gutted all at the same time – but the fact he is still prepared to put that much into his races and run to that level just shows what an extraordinary horse he is."

Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle (12.45 Kempton, Monday)

Coral: 9-4 Champ, 3 Paisley Park, Miranda, 9-2 Botox Has, 5 Goshen, 14 Not So Sleepy

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December 28
Leopardstown: Savills Chase day
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Leopardstown: Matheson Hurdle day
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Read these next:

2022 King George: who wins the big race at Kempton based on previous trends?

Who is set for King George glory? Assessing the key players in a Kempton cracker

What's on this Christmas - a full rundown of the festive schedule

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday