Paisley Park is reported to be in “great order” ahead of a fifth run in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Emma Lavelle’s stable star won the Paddy Power-backed Thursday feature in 2019 and his name was among the 28 possible runners for the contest when the entries were released on Tuesday.

Last seen defying the tight turns of Kempton when landing the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle on Boxing Day, the 11-year-old will attempt to win the Dahlbury Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle for a fourth time on January 28th as he completes his on-track Festival preparations.

And his trainer is proud to see him still competing at the highest level despite his advancing years.

“It just goes to show that you should never pigeonhole Paisley and I couldn’t have been happier with him on a track (Kempton) that probably doesn’t play to his strengths,” said Lavelle.

“I was very proud that he’s still winning at that level as a 10-year-old.

“Touch wood, he’s in great order – good, fresh and well and he’ll go to the Cleeve Hurdle first and the Stayers’ Hurdle is his big aim as ever. He’ll do one more piece of work on the grass next week (ahead of the Cleeve) but he’s in good form.”

Paisley Park has finished placed behind Gavin Cromwell’s hat-trick seeking Flooring Porter in the past two years, but Lavelle has hopes of a reversal this time.

On turning the tables with the defending champion, she continued: “I certainly hope so – I do think so far this year that he has been performing better than last year and if he can keep that up, I’d like to think we’ll be finishing closer or hopefully in front of him.”

The market is dominated by Irish-trained entries with Flooring Porter heading the betting at 5/1 with one firm and closely followed by Joseph O’Brien’s Christmas Hurdle scorer Home By The Lee and Willie Mullins’ Klassical Dream.

The latter is one of eight for the Closutton handler with the possible Mullins runners including the Rich Ricci-owned pair of Chacun Pour Soi and Monkfish and last year’s Ballymore winner Sir Gerhard.

Charles Byrnes won the race with Solwhit in 2013 and could be represented by Blazing Khal, while the shortest-priced British-trained entry is Nicky Henderson’s Marie’s Rock, despite last year’s Mares’ Hurdle champion most likely to defend her title over shorter on the Tuesday of the Festival.

However, one whose name was missing from the list of entries is Seven Barrows stablemate Champ, who will bypass Prestbury Park in favour of a trip to Merseyside.

“Champ is on a little break so he won’t be running at Cheltenham,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner J.P. McManus.

“He will be freshened up for Aintree, that is the plan with him.”

Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y

Tuesday 14th March

Bob Olinger (IRE) 8 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland

Constitution Hill 6 Mr Michael Buckley Nicky Henderson

First Street 6 Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford Nicky Henderson

I Like To Move It 6 Anne-Marie & Jamie Shepperd Nigel Twiston-Davies

Jason The Militant (IRE) 9 Mr G. Nicholson Philip Kirby

Knappers Hill (IRE) 7 Mr P K Barber and Mr P J Vogt Paul Nicholls

Not So Sleepy 11 Lady Blyth Hughie Morrison

Pied Piper 5 Caldwell Construction Ltd Gordon Elliott Ireland

Sharjah (FR) 10 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland

Sir Gerhard (IRE) 8 Cheveley Park Stud W. P. Mullins Ireland

State Man (FR) 6 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Ireland

Vauban (FR) 5 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland

Zanahiyr (IRE) 6 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland

Echoes In Rain (FR) 7 Barnane Stud W. P. Mullins Ireland

Epatante (FR) 9 Mr John P. McManus Nicky Henderson

Honeysuckle 9 Mr K. Alexander Henry de Bromhead Ireland

Love Envoi (IRE) 7 Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates Love Envoi Harry Fry

17 entries

9 Irish-trained

Current betting: 1-3 Constitution Hill; 4-1 State Man; 7-1 Honeysuckle; 8-1 Vauban; 20-1 Epatante; 33-1 Sir Gerhard; 40-1 Bob Olinger, Love Envoi; 50-1 Sharjah, Echoes In Rain, I Like To Move It, First Street; 66-1 Pied Piper; 100-1 Zanahiyr, Knappers Hill, Jason The Militant; 150-1 Not So Sleepy

Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 3f 200y

Tuesday 14th March

Ailie Rose (IRE) 7 Miss E. Hamilton S. R. B. Crawford Ireland

Anna Bunina (FR) 7 Ms Caroline Ahearn John McConnell Ireland

Bop Bop Bobbin (IRE) 5 Mr Luke Comer Luke Comer Ireland

Braganza 8 Mrs Sharon Noonan W. P. Mullins Ireland

Brandy Love (IRE) 7 Mr Claudio Michael Grech W. P. Mullins Ireland

Echoes In Rain (FR) 7 Barnane Stud W. P. Mullins Ireland

Gauloise (FR) 7 Mr K. Alexander W. P. Mullins Ireland

Get A Tonic (IRE) 7 Cherry Knoll Farm, M&T Ward & D Skelton Dan Skelton

Holly Hartingo (IRE) 7 The HHH Partnership Alastair Ralph

Honeysuckle 9 Mr K. Alexander Henry de Bromhead Ireland

Indefatigable (IRE) 10 Mr Philip Rocher Paul Webber

Lady Adare (IRE) 7 Dare and Dolan-Abrahams Families Harry Fry

Love Envoi (IRE) 7 Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates Love Envoi Harry Fry

Marada 8 Little Lodge Farm & Dan Skelton Dan Skelton

Marie's Rock (IRE) 8 Middleham Park Racing XLII Nicky Henderson

Midnight Ginger 7 Mr A. V. John Andrew Martin

Molly Ollys Wishes 9 Mr Dean Pugh Dan Skelton

Queens Brook (IRE) 8 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland

Royale Margaux (FR) 5 DahlBury Racing Tom Symonds

Santa Rossa (IRE) 9 Mrs P J Conway Dermot Anthony McLoughlin Ireland

Shewearsitwell (IRE) 8 Closutton Racing Club W. P. Mullins Ireland

Skyace (IRE) 8 T.J. McDonald/Miss Rachel O'Neill John Joseph Hanlon Ireland

Telmesomethinggirl (IRE) 8 Mr K. Alexander Henry de Bromhead Ireland

West Balboa (IRE) 7 Bullen-Smith & Faulks Dan Skelton

24 entries

13 Irish-trained

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y

Thursday 16th March

Ashdale Bob (IRE) 8 Diarmuid Horgan Mrs J. Harrington Ireland

Asterion Forlonge (FR) 9 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Ireland

Beacon Edge (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade Ireland

Blazing Khal (IRE) 7 Byrnes Bloodstock Ltd Charles Byrnes Ireland

Botox Has (FR) 7 John and Yvonne Stone Gary Moore

Buzz (FR) 9 Thurloe for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity Nicky Henderson

Chacun Pour Soi (FR) 11 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland

Dashel Drasher 10 Mrs B Tully and Mr R Lock Jeremy Scott

Flooring Porter (IRE) 8 Flooring Porter Syndicate Gavin Cromwell Ireland

Gelino Bello (FR) 7 Mr and Mrs J. D. Cotton Paul Nicholls

Goshen (FR) 7 Mr Steven Packham Gary Moore

Haut En Couleurs (FR) 6 Mrs J. Donnelly W. P. Mullins Ireland

Hewick (IRE) 8 Mr T. J. Mcdonald John Joseph Hanlon Ireland

Home By The Lee (IRE) 8 Mr Sean O'Driscoll Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland

Klassical Dream (FR) 9 Mrs J Coleman W. P. Mullins Ireland

Langer Dan (IRE) 7 Mr Colm Donlon Dan Skelton

Monkfish (IRE) 9 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland

Paisley Park (IRE) 11 Mr Andrew Gemmell Emma Lavelle

Saint Sam (FR) 6 Mr Edward J. Ware W. P. Mullins Ireland

Sams Profile 9 Michael O'Flynn/John F O'Flynn M. F. Morris Ireland

Sharjah (FR) 10 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland

Sire du Berlais (FR) 11 Mr John P. McManus Gordon Elliott Ireland

Sir Gerhard (IRE) 8 Cheveley Park Stud W. P. Mullins Ireland

Summerville Boy (IRE) 11 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Henry de Bromhead Ireland

Teahupoo (FR) 6 Robcour Gordon Elliott Ireland

Zanahiyr (IRE) 6 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland

Indefatigable (IRE) 10 Mr Philip Rocher Paul Webber

Marie's Rock (IRE) 8 Middleham Park Racing XLII Nicky Henderson

28 entries

19 Irish-trained

Current betting: 5-1 Flooring Porter; 6-1 Home By The Lee; 8-1 Klassical Dream; 10-1 Blazing Khal, Ashdale Bob; 12-1 Marie’s Rock, Teahupoo; 14-1 Paisley Park, Sharjah; 16-1 Asterion Forlonge, Buzz, Sir Gerhard; 20-1 Chacun Pour Soi, Gelino Bello, Monkfish; 25-1 Dashel Drasher, Haut En Couleurs; 33-1 Goshen, Saint Sam; 40-1 Hewick; 50-1 Beacon Edge, Botox Has, Indefatigable, Zanahiyr; 66-1 Sams Profile, Sire Du Berlais, Summerville Boy; 100-1 Langer Dan