Cheltenham tips 2020: Expect Paisley Park to claim Stayers’ Hurdle double with minimum of fuss

Michael Cooper11 March 2020

Paisley Park looks to have a second successive Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle triumph at his mercy at Cheltenham on Thursday.

The eight-year-old will go to post at the peak of his powers, his narrow but decisive victory in last year’s event being among his sequence of seven successive wins. He has won on his past three visits to Cheltenham, seems effective on all types of ground and has delivered in races run at all kinds of tempo.

His form is on a different plane to that of his rivals and that is also reflected by the official ratings, with the handicapper believing he has at least 12lb in hand over his rivals.

Trainer Emma Lavelle’s stable star beat 17 rivals last year and has raced just twice this term, winning in good style at Newbury in November before landing the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last time out. His jockey, Aidan Coleman, has ridden him on seven occasions and won on him every time.

Paisley Park is not one to go in for flamboyant wide-distance wins — he generally idles in front and does little more than he has to — and you will not get rich backing him as he is a general 4-6 favourite. However, if he were trained in one of the bigger yards, then it is likely he would be even shorter in the betting.

One minor niggle is that Lavelle has not had a winner for more than a month, but her horses seem to be running well enough.

Paisley Park has beaten many of the opponents he will meet tomorrow and, overall, the race lacks depth.

The team behind Apple’s Jade have suggested she will be having her final run after some subdued efforts this campaign, while Emitom, an emphatic winner at Haydock last time, did not shine at Cheltenham when he ran there on New Year’s Day.

The Ryanair Chase is much more competitive with Frodon, the winner last year, clashing with Min, A Plus Tard and the progressive Riders Onthe Storm.

Each of the quartet will have their supporters, but it is A Plus Tard who makes most appeal. He was one of the most impressive winners at last year’s meeting, albeit in a handicap, and bridged the gap to graded company when proving too strong for Chacun Pour Soi at Leopardstown over Christmas despite dropping in distance. His trainer, Henry de Bromhead, enjoyed a double at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

The opening Marsh Chase features the remarkable Faugheen, who seeks to become the first 12-year-old to win a novice chase at the meeting.

The 2015 Champion Hurdle winner boasts the best form after successive Grade One wins in his native Ireland, yet is still available at about 6-1.

Gordon Elliott’s The Storyteller makes most appeal in a typically wide-open Pertemps Network Final.

He was a fluent winner over fences at the meeting two years ago and has looked revived back over hurdles on his past two starts, shaping much better than the bare form suggests when sixth at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Dan Skelton could be in for a day to savour as Spiritofthegames, a reliable sort proven at the track, and Ardlethen, an unexposed novice, have solid prospects in their respective races at double-figure odds. Finally, Concertista is fancied to go one better than last year in the Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.