CHAMP PIPPED PAISLEY Park in a battle royal in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
The two 10-year-olds produced a thrilling finish in the three-mile contest, with the strong-travelling, front-running Champ just getting the better of the popular former Stayers’ Hurdle winner, who powered home under Aidan Coleman, and was in front a stride or two after the line.
Jonjo O’Neill Jr just had enough in the tank to thwart the Emma Lavelle-trained gelding as the pair were split by a neck, with the width of the track separating them.
Paisley Park did not jump with great fluency over the last two as he ate into Champ’s lead, while the Nicky Henderson-trained winner tying up towards the line.
However, Paisley Park just ran out of real estate, much to the relief of the winning trainer, who told Racing TV: “They’re good horses, but they are getting on a bit. Champ and Paisley Park have been around for quite some time, and they’ve been two genuine Grade One horses, so to come and fight out a race like that – I think anyone would enjoy it.
“I thought we were beaten actually, but when we got the first replay we’d got it. Our old boy has won an RSA Chase over fences and everybody adores him.
“He’s got the most lovely character and he’s such a sweet horse. AP (McCoy) rode him in a gallop here 10 days ago and he thought he was in great form, but he does have his ailments as well – he’s a bit creaky, like all of us at that age.
“His back isn’t very good and that’s why we’ve stayed hurdling over the last couple of years, only because fences put that little bit of extra pressure on it.
“JP’s (McManus, owner) team at Martinstown do a wonderful job, so he comes back to me in very good order at the beginning of every season and then it’s up to me and you do have to mind him a little bit.
“You could see we were travelling and Paisley Park was off the bridle, but you can never write him off. You can never read Paisley Park – he might stand still at the start and still come and beat you!
A gripper!🏇
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 25, 2022
Champ clings on as Paisley Park finishes strongly in a pulsationg finish to the Grade 2 @Coral Long Distance Hurdle @NewburyRacing. What a race!@JJONeillJnr | @sevenbarrows pic.twitter.com/Tyuwt93O1v
“He’s a bizarre character, but he’s a phenomenal horse with a phenomenal team and I’m sure we’re going to meet again in three weeks’ time, so on it goes (in the Long Walk at Ascot).”
Coleman was left naturally disappointed to be beaten so narrowly. He said: “It was a massive run, and you have to be happy with him, (but) it’s annoying to get beat isn’t it?
“I thought I had him rolling and I wanted to keep away from Jonjo, only because he’d make the running and I thought if anything was going to get lonely in the straight, it would be something that been there the whole way.
“My horse knew he was there and I thought I’d have one go and we might get him, but it didn’t work out which is annoying.”
Despite having his colours lowered, Lavelle remained up-beat after Paisley Park’s brave effort.
She said: “It’s brilliant. He’s back and he’s the most extraordinary horse, he really is.
“I just kind of felt if we could have jumped one of the last two hurdles well it would have made the difference, but I take my hat off to Champ. They’re two special 10-year-olds running races like that – it is really what National Hunt racing is all about.
“I’m just very privileged, as are our whole team, to be able to train one of those horses. We’re so proud of him. He’s back for another season which is an unbelievable testament to him and to Barry (Fenton) riding him at home every day.
“It’s probably the best first run he’s had for a couple of years and we’ll take the same route. So long as he’s all right after this, it will be the Long Walk, then it would be nice if he could make the Cleeve his own again and then on to Cheltenham (for the Stayers’ Hurdle).”
That’ll be uploaded on pornhub
All bets are off for goal of the season.
That one beats all the other in your own half goals…
Holy moly!!!
Take a bow son. Great goal.
Someone asked me if Adam would score today. I told them it would be a long shot.
As it turns out I was completely right.
aaaah anyone but charlie adam!great strike though
That was like finding a hidden can of beer:)
on a good friday
‘Ave it’
I’d break a keepers hole with a kick for being that far off his line. Ridiculous.
Not often the referee is in the other half of the Football Pitch when a goal is scored.
Super Skills this one.
Great goal by Adam bets off 4 goal of the year any criticism of it is a load of bullsh t
Let’s see your list.
I always think those really long range goals are a little over-rated. If the goal isn’t protected by the goalkeeper and a top class professional player spots that from afar, they’ve got a fair chance of hitting it on target, then it’s just a case of distance and speed; again with no keeper in the goal it makes the task a lot easier to pull off. Adam’s goal was outstanding don’t get me wrong, but as I say in terms of sheer footballing brilliance, goals similar to that type are a few notches down my list.
You’re obviously not a footballer if you don’t understand how difficult that is to do.
I have played the game to a decent standard my whole life, come down to Goals in Elmer’s End on a Tuesday night or Pimlico Academy of a Friday in London any time for a kickabout….but that’s hardly the point. Technically, all Adam did was line the ball up from a fairly central position and launch it, he had no keeper to beat so once he was on target he was 7/8ths of the way there.
The speed he generated from what was pretty much a snapshot was lethal, don’t get me wrong it was an outstanding goal. But there are a lot more technically difficult goals out there, in my opinion. Going past a man or two and shaping one in the top corner from 20-30 yards, certain free kicks, even certain headers are incredibly difficult to perform.
I probably deserve the red thumbs, it was a great and memorable goal, but I stand by my opinion.
That’s a fair point. Suarez scored a header from 20 metres for Liverpool in a hat-trick around Sept/October 2014 which was probably as difficult Adam’s goal today but that goal never got a mention in goal of the month.
Totally agree with ya Kevin. Hit the target from the centre circle, not that hard. Well done on looking up and spotting the keeper leaving him an empty net. A little bit overhyped I think.
He’s not that kind words player..