Cleeve Hurdle Preview: Noble Yeats Can Deny Paisley History

In one of the most repeated rivalries in racing in recent years, three of the old stagers in the staying hurdling ranks lock horns once more with the Cleeve Hurdle title on the line. There is however a younger pretender entered here who has caught our man Billy Grimshaw's eye, and here he makes the case to take on Paisley Park as Emma Lavelle's legendary stayer chases history with a fourth win in the Cleeve...

It pains me to take on Paisley Park here in his hunt for a history making fourth Cleeve. Lady Rebecca won the Cleeve three times in her career, a feat Paisley Park has now matched, but this is an opportunity for the twelve year old to go out on his own as the undisputed King Of The Cleeve. The horse has been chinned twice this season, both in heart breaking fashion. Firstly he just failed to wear down the reopposing Dashel Drasher in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on December 1st of last year, before being outbattled by youngster Crambo - now one of the leading Stayers' Hurdle fancies for Fergal O'Brien.

This duo along with Champ have clashed more times than any other trio that is easy to recall in recent years, to the credit of the three horses and their respective connections. Despite being the youngster of the group, Champ's star seems to be fading most violently and it would be a surprise if he were able to reverse form with either of his past conquerors, particularly as he is usually best fresh yet has been busy thus far this season. Strong Leader is in here but has been a real disappointment all season, and in fact I would not be confident even if he was in peak form that he would really see this trip out.

At a similar price and profile, Botox Has is much more interesting but his connections are on the record as saying he performs a stone better on proper soft ground. He won't get that at Cheltenham if the forecast is close to correct. The two aforementioned horses could be pace angles along with habitual front-runner Dashel Drasher, and this will mean the race is set up beautifully for Paisley Park to come with his customary late surge. Flight Deck is the outsider of the field and will likely attempt to stalk the pace as well, as he did to limited success when third behind Dashel Drasher and Paisley Park at Newbury. There is no obvious reason he can turn that form around, albeit he is still young so could be improving.

That leaves just one horse and it is my pick, NOBLE YEATS. On purely his hurdles run, the horse would be a 100/1 shot in here, however his exploits over fences means he merits more than a second glance in here. His trainer Emmet Mullins is renowned for furrowing his own path when it comes to the perfect way to train his horses and with an attempt to regain his Grand National crown in April his final target of the year, the team have confirmed Noble Yeats will be running here and in the Stayers' Hurdle.

I absolutely love the booking of Harry Cobden for this top class chaser back over the smaller obstacles, and after a month ago he plugged on for second over a patently inadequate trip back at Limerick he now will have his eye back in for hurdles. Cobden is a master at judging the pace in a race and while he will be keen not to let the leaders get too much rope, the impression I have is that he will stick close to the main danger - Paisley Park - and attempt to outbattle him up the Cheltenham hill as Crambo did at Ascot last time out.

Noble Yeats' stamina is without dispute after his win in the Grand National, so Cobden will be keen to get rolling early here to make full use of his mount. He of course ran a fine race in last season's Gold Cup to finish fourth, and while he is clearly not quite up to the class of winning racing's blue riband, he is a live Stayers' Hurdle contender if bringing his chase form back down to this division. His price is shortening all the time so it would be no surprise to see him go off favourite or close to it, and I think he is worthy of leading the market.