Joy at Ascot as Coleman and Lavelle finally gain Grade 1 honours in Long Walk

The Long Walk ended the long wait.

For Aidan Coleman and Emma Lavelle there has been a persistent wrong that needed righting. Thanks to Paisley Park it has been righted.

The horse's jockey and trainer have been competing on the sport's biggest stage for numerous years and have considerable achievements to their names, but neither had won a Grade 1 race.

That monkey is now off their backs. Moreover, it is testament to the respect in which both are held that many were surprised to learn Paisley Park's success in the JLT Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot broke their top-flight duck.

Paisley Park (left) forges clear to win the Long Walk Hurdle under Aidan ColemanCredit: Alan Crowhurst

For Coleman, who began riding in the 2006-07 season, there had been 93 previous attempts to secure Grade 1 honours. The first two of those efforts came in the weeks before the 2009 Grand National was won by Mon Mome, a horse he discarded in favour of a Venetia Williams-trained stable companion called Stan who fell at Foinavon first time round.

When Mon Mome came home in front Coleman was thrilled for Liam Treadwell, but the young man, then just days off being crowned champion conditional rider, sobbed for himself. He thereafter wiped his eyes and continued building a reputation for being a talented, highly-respected and popular member of his profession, one who has won more than 100 races in his last three British campaigns.

The Grand National – which anyway only carries Grade 3 honours – still eludes him. A Grade 1 victory does not.

"I might be a case study of just how hard Grade 1 races are to win," said Coleman as he came towards the end of a series of interviews he was extremely happy to give.

"It's hard just to get good rides in Grade 1s. Paisley Park was obviously a good ride but there were still four horses in front of him in the betting. I hope this is now just the first of many. It has taken me too long but it means a lot to do it."

Coleman then explained how much it meant but also how he had hitherto managed not to let the omission bother him.

"To be honest, I thought it was fine," he said.

"I'm close to 1,000 winners, so I've been around a long time, but I always thought, okay, I've not had a Grade 1 winner, it's not my fault, what about it? Yet 50 yards from the line I really thought that this is what I had been waiting for. Maybe my own mentality shoved it into the background as though it wasn't an issue. It has been embarrassing, but we got there."

Emma Lavelle: 'this is really special'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Lavelle has also got there. Her first runners and winners came in the 1998-99 season, since when there have been plenty of ups and inevitably a few downs. On the cusp of Christmas Day she received the sort of present she has craved for so long.

"This is my home track and this is where I was brought up, so it's really special," she said.

"You don't want to be going, 'Oh my God, I'm trying to get my first Grade 1 winner', but in the back of my mind it was always the one thing we hadn't achieved and it always bugged me. This is going to take a bit of time to sink in. We have been placed in so many Grade 1s and you just want to win one."

Now she has won one and so has he. There will be plenty of people delighted for them both.

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