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Day 3 of the Festival could herald the arrival of the 'new Paisley Park'
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Trainer Emma Lavelle never dreamed she’d be lucky enough to find another horse like Paisley Park, whose endearing never-say-die attitude enabled him to capture a clutch of Grade Ones, including the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
But perhaps she has. Ma Shantou lines up for Thursday’s three-miler as an exciting up-and-comer, having won his last two races, both at Cheltenham, in some style.
He is a welcome fresh face. The top of the staying division has been a little stale in recent years, especially for the Brits, with Ireland dominating without anything really standing out in the way that Inglis Drever and Big Buck’s did earlier this century.
Last year’s winner and runner-up, Bob Olinger and 2024 winner Teahupoo, are back again, but at 11 years and nine respectively they are fully exposed and vulnerable to talented newbies to the scene.
On paper, Ma Shantou needs to improve by at least half a stone to beat last year’s 1-2, but he appeared to have that amount more in hand than the winning margin of seven lengths when he put Impose Toi to the sword in the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials Day.
Lavelle is happy to admit the similarities between Ma Shantou and Paisley Park, in terms of the way they travel through their races and their telling stamina at the end of it.
“Ma Shantou is not big, so they are not alike physically, but they are the same out on the track, which is what matters,” she says. “And we know now he’s versatile as far as the ground is concerned.”
Impose Toi is back for more, but his bubble appears to have burst. Kabral Du Mathan, another new kid making a big impression, is likely a bigger threat, although Dan and Harry Skelton don’t seem entirely convinced that he’s quite ready for this first try over three milers against such stamina-laden opponents.
Paisley Park’s 2019 win, following hot on the heels of Bryony Frost’s memorable victory aboard the equally popular Frodon in the Ryanair Chase, was dubbed Cheltenham’s “Golden Hour”.
Thursday’s 60 minutes isn’t likely to cause the same euphoria with Willie Mullins’ Fact To File, who would likely have been favourite for the Gold Cup had connections chosen to run him on Friday, looking a shoo-in to win his second Ryanair.
Gordon Elliott’s Wodhooh also looks a banker in the Mares’ Hurdle. She must be a dream to train; always doing enough and no more to win nine of her 10 starts over timber, her only defeat being a highly commendable second place to Lossiemouth at Aintree last April.
Meanwhile, Sixmilebridge, three out of three over fences, is the apple of local trainer Fergal O’Brien’s eye and he’ll be at a more sporting price (around 8-1) for the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.
He’s a bit of an awkward sod at home apparently, but does the business on the track, his hat-trick completed in a Sandown Grade One.
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