Kempton Monday review: Paisley Park wins third Long Walk Hurdle

Long Walk hat-trick for Paisley Park

Paisley Park won a third Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle in the rescheduled 2022 renewal at Kempton.

Emma Lavelle's charge wasn't expected to be suited by the switch of venue from Ascot and turning in he was in third as old rival Champ and Goshen duelled up front.

However he began to close and once in front going to the last, the race was over. the veteran ten-year-old staying on strongly to beat Goshen, who got the better of his protracted battle with the favourite, by four-and-a-half lengths.

Winning rider Aidan Coleman told ITV Racing: “That’s three Long Walks he’s won now, two at Ascot and one at Kempton.

“I find it hard not to get emotional about him as he’s an absolute pleasure. He’s been a mainstay of my career for a long period of time, he’s taken me to places that I’m struggling to repeat – especially this year.

“The better horses I ride are getting a bit older apart from Jonbon, but then along comes this fellow and he is a testament to Emma and Barry (Fenton) and their team.

“He’s running in three-mile slogs for six years now, it’s nearly unheard of. He picked up well and going to the last I knew I’d win. I actually got the front too soon, I don’t think I’ve ever given him a good ride!”

Fenton, Lavelle’s partner and assistant, said: “It’s just unbelievable really, he pulls it out of the bag every time. He just seems to have that spark back this year

“I was a bit worried over the first two hurdles but even tacking him up before the race, he just seemed right. He’s not even just a bit better than last year, he feels like he’s as good as we’ve had him. Last year everything was a bit hard work, even training him at home, but this year he seems bright and happy and enjoying himself. He’s one of those horses.

“This was probably his least favourite ground, but I said to Aidan that this is Paisley Park and you never know what is going to happen. To be fair I was happy going to the third-last and it was just when we landed at the back of it that all of a sudden we were under the pump and under it proper.

“The dead ground probably helped us in the sense that the others came back to him and once he gets a feel that the others are coming back to him he’s at it again.

“He’s one of those horses and he always pulls through. We nearly lost him a couple of times, but he’s a fighter and he pulls through. He’s a poker player and I’d hate to play poker with him as you would not know what’s under his sleeve! That’s the way he trains at home, he takes his every day stuff with a pinch of salt but he’s an incredible horse.

“I’ve spoken to Emma and she’s happy and funnily enough I’ve spoken to Andrew (Gemmell, owner) on the phone. He’s down in Australia so I’m gutted for him that he’s not here, but at least the race was on after Ascot and I was giving him the commentary."

Hill takes his revenge

Thyme Hill reversed Newbury form with McFabulous in no uncertain terms when winning the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.

Paul Nicholls’ McFabulous had Thyme Hill well behind when they met in a Grade Two last time out at Newbury, with the pair among a five-runner field upped to Grade One company.

Not surprisingly McFabulous was sent off favourite and Harry Cobden attempted to dictate matters from the front, a task made easier when Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux made a couple of early blunders meaning she ended up settling in behind.

Unfortunately her early errors took a toll and she was pulled up on the second circuit, while Gelino Bello was faller.

All the time Tom O’Brien was creeping closer on Philip Hobbs’ Thyme Hill and there was never going to be any question about his stamina given how well he stayed over hurdles.

As McFabulous tired it was Thyme Hill (11/2) who soared over the last, with the first-time cheekpieces clearly working as he came home 15 lengths clear.

O’Brien said: “It was disappointing at Newbury, but the ground there was the faster side of good and I was ballooning fences and you can’t give any ground away doing that. We put the cheekpieces on and the ground brought stamina into it today plus he he wasn’t ballooning them as much as the last day.

“I was disappointed after Newbury, but when I schooled him with cheekpieces on I thought ‘this is what I want to feel’. He is a dual Grade One winner over hurdles and he is now a Grade One-winning chaser and nearly a Grade One bumper winner. He has been a very good horse and I’m delighted I’ve got to ride him.”

Sarah Hobbs, wife of the winning trainer, said: “I’m absolutely delighted. He jumped so well and I think the cheekpieces helped but he has been working a lot better this week and he has suddenly come into himself. He does need a fast pace. If they go too slow he can’t quicken, but if it is fast to start with he can.

“He can’t run very often and needs to be fresh. He is not very big but he does try and the cheekpieces just make him concentrate. He is a lovely little horse, but he has his own mind. I was confident because Philip was confident. He had said at home that his work was so much better. The girl that rides him every day said that he was a different horse.

“He would have to have at least a month off. There are not too many races he can run in before Cheltenham. It would be better if he went to Cheltenham then Aintree as he has won at Aintree before. He is a good horse.”

Nicholls said of his runners: “McFabulous just doesn’t quite get three miles on that ground. I think they all had a problem with the sun there down the back from what they were all saying, Harry (Cobden) said he wasn’t really confident jumping and then he’s just run out of petrol.

“The other horse outstayed him on that ground and it’s just one of those things, we know he needs good ground so we’ll leave him until the spring and run him on nice ground. We’ll freshen him up now and wait for the good ground in the spring.

“Gelino Bello was travelling really well, they’re both OK and Bryony (Frost) came in and said similar. We won’t be blaming anything but it’s one of those things, they’re both good and he’s a nice horse and he’ll come good.

Edition leaves Longsdon with decisions to make

By Graham Clark

Charlie Longsdon insists he has some interesting decisions to make after Rare Edition set himself for a step up in class after maintaining his unbeaten record under rules with victory in the Ladbrokes “We Play Together” Novices’ Hurdle.

Arriving in the two mile prize on the back of victories at Worcester and Doncaster this season the five year old completed a hat-trick of wins for the campaign with a stylish performance under Sam Twiston-Davies.

Racing in behind long-time leader, and eventual runner-up, Rubaud for much of the race the gelded son of Califet, who made a winning debut for his current connections at Southwell last season, swept to the front on the run to the second last.

Bounding clear in between the final two flights the 7/2 chance meet the last on a good stride before crossing the line with seven lengths to spare to earn a 20/1 quote from the sponsors for the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham.

Longsdon said: “That was good. It was softest ground he has been on. At the beginning of the season we thought he was too weak to go on soft ground but I don’t think it was too bad today to be honest and Kempton never gets too soft.

“For us we thought he was a very nice horse. If he was going to be a proper nice horse he had to win today. Paul (Nicholls) and Nicky (Henderson) have loads of nice horses and we don’t. He has won very nicely.

“The form should have been around those two and the Archie Watson horse (Throne Hall) as they were all rated quite similar with double penalties so they were the form horses.

“Him and the Nicholls horse have pulled clear of the rest and we have pulled nicely clear of him. We have got take a few things seriously now.

“I thought Sandown ground gets horrific, and that is nothing against Sandown as I love Sandown, but I thought a young horse on really soft ground I didn’t want to do that. We have got some interesting decisions to make.

“It could be (for him, the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury). Let’s see what his handicap mark will be. All those big races he will have to get entries for. They all say the Betfair Hurdle is for progressive youngsters but I don’t know.

“We’ve got today out the way and we have to set our sights a bit higher now again but it is something to really look forward. Paul and Nicky have loads of horses that can run in these races. It is nice for a lesser yard to go put one over them.

“He will want two and a half but you can’t change that at the moment and we will keep to two for the time being. Bill Esdaile runs the syndicate and he and I will have a lot of chat.”

Coastal on right path

Nicky Henderson feels that Balco Coastal (7/2 joint-favourite) is well on his way to proving himself a nice chaser, after getting off the mark at the second attempt over fences in good style/

The six year old disappointed slightly on his chasing bow at Newbury in November but proved a different proposition this afternoon when stepped up to an extended two and a half miles for the Ladbrokes Get Your £1 Free Bet Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, quickly getting into a good rhythm on the wide outside under jockey Nico de Boinville.

The pair turned the screw heading into the straight and were soon in control, producing a good jump over the final fence to seal a nine length success over the runner up Solo.

And while he wouldn’t be drawn onto specific targets, Henderson feels that his charge will likely be moving up the chasing ranks sooner rather than later.

He said: “I was thrilled with that, we ran him over two miles at Newbury last time and it was a bit sharp for him. It was probably my fault sending over two miles as it was a tiny bit too sharp for him, so we let him have a lot of daylight today and he enjoyed himself.

“I said to Nico to get out there and give him daylight and he had a lovely time and he was very good today. He won his bumper here first time out by a huge margin and we got very excited and he won a couple of nice races last season too.

“He looked today as though he’s going the right way towards being a nice horse and I hope he is. I have no plans just yet for him - I fear the handicapper is going to dictate to me where we go next.”

Dawning lands game in finale

Grey Dawning sent the majority of the 12,760 crowd home happy after taking a step up in trip in his stride in the Ladbrokes Fanzone “Your Team Your Game” Handicap Hurdle.

Sent off the well backed 5/4 favourite to follow up his last time out victory at Exeter the gelded son of Flemensfirth did not disappoint in the two miles and five furlongs contest to make it two wins out of three over hurdles.

Hitting the front on the run to the last Grey Dawning, despite drifting left up the run-in, pulled out more than enough under Harry Skelton to prevail by a length and a half.

Skelton said: “He ultimately got the race won in the end. He is a very nice horse and he is a horse down the line that will be a chaser. He has got stacks of ability.

“We won’t fly to high for the time being as he has won off 123 not 153. We will be respectful of him and mind him and hopefully he makes into a really good horse.

“Aintree first time out he needed and today he was still a bit babyish and he is by Flemensfirth and they can be a little bit like that and keep a fiver up their sleeve but I was delighted with him.

“He went off a short price and he was the most likely winner of the race as he was the least exposed and he ultimately did that.

“They are getting their flu vaccinations next week so we will let him get over that. For sure I will look for a nice handicap for him. By the end of the season he should be running over three miles. You’d like to think he will be running outside of handicap company by the end of the season but we have got to let him get there.”

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