'It's been blinking frustrating' - Cheltenham winner a major boost for Emma Lavelle following tough season

Emma Lavelle hailed My Silver Lining's Cheltenham success as an important confidence boost for her stable following a season she described as "blinking frustrating".

A three-quarter-length success in the 3m1½f mares' handicap chase was a 29th of the season, a tally well below the 42 from the previous campaign. Lavelle said some of her horses, including stable star Paisley Park, had been unwell during the season but a recent improvement in form has given her renewed confidence for next term.

My Silver Lining was one of those to have taken a major step forward having finished fifth when last seen at Southwell last month. She won bravely here under James Best, the son-in-law of her owner Celia Djivanovic.

Lavelle said: "When we first bought her we thought soft ground was the answer. As the season's progressed we thought she actually wants a proper trip and good ground, which she's got here. She's a great jumper, a relentless galloper and she wants to win.

"This is great. The horses have been coming back to themselves. We've got Ayr coming up, but it's great to be going out with a bit of a bang as opposed to where it's been, which has been hit and miss. We all want winners so it is blinking frustrating. This gives us a bit of confidence now."

The trainer also revealed her intention to keep Paisley Park in training next season.

She added: "We'll give him a summer off, bring him in, get going and if he seems like he wants it great. If he doesn't we'll let him do something different to racing."

Exciting prospect

Philip Kirby was unsure whether Micks Jet would be ready to run this season but the five-year-old caused a huge surprise when bolting up in the bumper by nine and a half lengths at odds of 66-1.

Kirby admitted he was left slightly unhappy with how she looked in the parade ring, but he had no issues with what he saw on the track as she powered clear under Joe Williamson.

The Yorkshire-based trainer said: "We were 50:50 about running her this season, she's a shell. But she was very, very good and she loved that ground. She's got a big engine and she'll be a different horse next season. I'd say she's only half there. She could be serious."

Victory also ended a 32-runner drought for Kirby and provided a first success at Cheltenham.

Shock success

The Dan Skelton-trained Walk In Clover was a stone out of the weights in the 2m4½f mares' novice handicap chase but she caused a surprise in the Grade 2 to strike at 16-1.

She was officially rated 104 and raced off 118, yet was too good for her rivals as she powered home to defeat topweight Effernock Fizz by three lengths.

"Tristan [Durrell] gave her a wonderful ride," said Skelton. "I was slightly annoyed when the entries came out as I thought she'd get into the handicap, on a lot of historical runnings she would've done. I thought if she missed it was by a 1lb or 2lb, not by a stone.

"That wasn't putting me off running because these are the type of conditions she needs, she wants a better-run race. She's been a bit of a challenge up until now but that was much more like it."

Henderson heroics

Nicky Henderson recorded a double after Ahorsewithnoname landed the Listed 2m4½f mares' novice hurdle and Under Control obliged as favourite in the juvenile handicap hurdle.

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