MANY will find a bet that comes from the heart in today’s Stayers’ Hurdle (3.30pm).
The roof will come off both grandstands if Paisley Park can a plunder the Stayers’ crown on his 12th visit to Prestbury Park, while 2022 Grand National winner Noble Yeats and good old Flooring Porter will also have their cheerleaders.
Dashel Drasher could hit the frame again at a price, as could last year’s winner Sire Du Berlais, who despite now being a 12-year-old has been laid out for this swansong.
Last year’s shock 33/1 winner has only had the one start this term, suggesting connections have kept the old boy as fresh as possible for this and I can see him running well again.
You certainly won’t be getting 33/1 about him again this year, but 16/1 still looks fairly generous.
Whether he’ll still have the legs to outstay some of the horses that are half his age is the question.
Seven-year-old’s Crambo and Teahupoo represent the next generation of long-distance hurdlers, and it’s the latter who is the one to beat this year.
Recent Long Walk Hurdle winner Crambo, who narrowly got the better of Paisley Park in that contest, is clearly on an upward curve but still has it all to do at this level, so I’d rather be with last year’s third Teahupoo.
He ran well in last year’s renewal, where he didn’t have the clearest of runs and could be seen staying on again when switched to the near side in the closing stages.
He successfully retained his crown in the Hatton’s Grace over 2m4f on his only start this term, which was very impressive given that was his first run back, and he has to be given the utmost respect back up in trip.
He’s not been missed in the betting, though, and is just 7/4 across the board.
STAYERS’ HURDLE 1-2-3
1 Teahupoo
2 Home By The Lee
3 Sire Du Berlais
I’m happy to leave him alone at that price and instead play the Joseph O’Brien-trained HOME BY THE LEE each-way at 11/1 with four places on offer.
He improved a place on his 2022 effort to finish fifth in this race last year, which looked a decent effort given he lost ground when making a bad blunder at the sixth.
He did well to get back into the race and had no problems seeing out the three-mile trip.
If you take away that blunder from last year’s race, he would have been in the first three, so he’s got to be worth another try.
This season, he hasn’t set the track alight in his two starts.
His seasonal reappearance in the 2m4f Lismullen Hurdle after more than six months off was encouraging, finishing third but showing plenty of fight over a trip that would have been on the sharp side for him, while he never looked himself when last seen in the Christmas Hurdle.
He is a horse that often races lazily and hits flat spots, so I like the fact first-time blinkers go on here and they might just help sharpen him up.
Connections will have only had one race in mind for him all season long, and reports from the yard suggest he’s showing all the right signs at home, so I’m happy to forgive him that effort over Christmas.
If he’s back to his best and puts in a sound round of hurdling, then I can’t see him being too far away.
POINTERS
Home By The Lee e/w 3:30pm Cheltenham