Paisley Park primed as Lavelle and Hales bid to turn back tide at Punchestown

After a British jumps season in which so many major prizes were plundered by Irish raiders, trainers Emma Lavelle and Alex Hales are hoping roles will be reversed at the Punchestown festival as Paisley Park and Millers Bank chase Grade 1 glory for the visiting team.

Thursday's Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle will be the first time popular stalwart Paisley Park has raced in Ireland, and he is priced at between 9-2 and 7-1 to dethrone last year's winner Klassical Dream and provide Lavelle with a breakthrough success in the country.

Hopes are high that the fire still burns brightly in Andrew Gemmell's 2019 Stayers' Hurdle hero, who finished third in the race behind Flooring Porter at the Cheltenham Festival last month.