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Porter can floor his rivals in Stayers’ Hurdle
Gavin Cromwell won the Champion Hurdle and could win another championship race on Thursday.
A LARGE field of 15 is set to line up for Thursday’s highlight, the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3.05pm), where Paisley Park will bid to join the likes of Big Buck’s, Inglis Drever and Baracouda as dual winners of this race.
Emma Lavelle’s stable star won the 2019 renewal impressively but he was a bitter disappointment 12 months ago when finishing a well beaten seventh.
While some might have thought that was the end for the Andrew Gemmell-owned son of Oscar, he has bounced back in fine form this season.
Ante-post market
The key storylines
In one of the clashes of the week, expect a new chasing star to be crowned. This could prove the coronation of Shishkin, with the Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old out to follow in the footsteps of Seven Barrows superstars Altior and Sprinter Sacre in lifting this star-studded prize.
As with his two former stablemates, it has been a quiet yet tried-and-tested route to Cheltenham this season with Shishkin. Last year s Supreme Novices Hurdle winner destroyed inferior opposition on his chase debut at Kempton and in two Grade 2s at that track and, most recently, Doncaster.
However, this is far from a one-horse race and two top-level winners also have solid claims for success.
By Adam Hughes
Rebecca Curtis is delighted with the performance of Lisnagar Oscar, pictured leading at Haycock Park, going into the last hurdle. PEMBROKESHIRE racehorse trainer Rebecca Curtis could take plenty of heart from a strong run by Lisnagar Oscar at Haydock Park - and all roads now lead to the defence of the Stayers Hurdle crown at Cheltenham next month. Lisnagar Oscar, ridden by Sean Bowen of Little Newcastle, at 6-1, was ahead at the final fence, but finished a close second to Hughie Morrison s seven-year-old Third Wind, who came in at 9-2, to land the William Hill Rendlesham Hurdle honours.