OGBOURNE Maizey trainer Emma Lavelle warmed Stayers’ Hurdle champion Paisley Park up for his seasonal debut at Newbury on Thursday by completing a racecourse gallop.

The seven-year-old, owned by Andrew Gemmell, covered two miles under ex-jockey Barry Fenton – Emma’s husband – in a workout with stable mate Hawk’s Well.

It’s expected that the bay gelding will make his first start since March’s sensational Cheltenham Festival success at Newbury on Friday, November 29 – the first day of the racecourse’s two-day Ladbrokes Winter Carnival.

Reflecting on Paisley Park’s gallop, Lavelle said she was delighted with how the exercise went.

She added: “They went steady down the far side and Barry (Fenton) said he wasn’t doing a tap sitting in behind, so he had to bring him upsides.

“He quickened up in the final mile, did everything he needed to do and was still tanking at the end.

“As much as anything, today was about getting him away to have a sweat which will bring him on.

“In the paddock to start with he was on his toes. To be able to bring him here to calm it all back down again was brilliant.

“He took a breath in the paddock, settled down and was so professional out on the track. He is a big unit now which was why we needed to do this today.”

Lavelle’s attention will now switch to the upcoming Long Distance Hurdle at the Berkshire track in three weeks’ time.

Trips to Ascot and Cheltenham – for the Cleeve Hurdle – have been pencilled in too by the Wiltshire trainer before Paisley Park’s festival re-appearance.

She added: “After the Stayers’ Hurdle, we’ll hopefully go to Punchestown. That’s the dream.”