Paisley Park Horse - Age, weight, trainer, owner, race record and form

Paisley Park was one of the most popular staying hurdlers of recent times, a Cheltenham Festival winner, and has been retired following the 2024 Cotswolds showpiece.

Paisley Park Owner

Paisley Park was originally owned by Richard E Rohan, who purchased him for €12,500 at the Tattersalls sales in Ireland. He was gelded and returned to the sales ring at Gofffs in June 2015, when he was sold to Gerry Hogan Bloodstock for €60,000.

Andrew Gemmell, his current owner, made an offer to purchase him before sending him to train with Emma Lavelle.

Gemmell has been blind since birth, but his love affair with horses, and in particular Paisley Park, has been well documented around the world and played a significant role in Paisley Park's huge popularity amongst the racing public.

Paisley Park Trainer

Emma Lavelle was a former assistant trainer to Gerard "Toby" Balding for around five years, while she also spent time in New York under Claude "Shug" McGaughey.

She took out her own training licence at the age of 25 in 1998 and has not looked back. She has built her thriving base in Ogbnourne Maizey, near Marlborough, Wiltshire.

While she runs a mixed yard, she is more known for her success with National Hunt horses, and she has won several Grade 1 races as a trainer in the UK.

Paisley Park Age

The son of Oscar and Presenting Shares turned 12 in May and continued to perform at a high level for connections up until his retirement in March 2024.

Paisley Park Official Rating

Paisley Park's retired with a rating of 157, but it had been as high as 169 in previous campaigns.

After winning at Kempton in December 2022, Paisley Park was given a rating of 160, but he never managed to build on that or reach the winners' enclosure again despite some very gallant efforts in defeat.

Paisley Park Record

Paisley Park made his first appearance on a racecourse in January 2017, finishing second to Point Of Principle at Warwick. He won 11 months later at Hereford after a 336-day break before his first full season came to a close at the Cheltenham Festival when he finished 13th in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Gemmell was soon in dreamland as Paisley Park won all five of his outings during the 2018 season, and he ended up winning seven races in a row heading into the start of 2020.

From 30 runs, Paisley Park won 11 times, finished second on seven occasions, and secured six third-place finishes.

Paisley Park enjoyed a sublime career and captured the hearts of racing fans, especially as he had to overcome colic during his first few years under Lavelle.

He won the Long Walk Hurdle and Cleeve Hurdle three times each, while he has also won the Stayers' Handicap Hurdle, Stayers' Hurdle and Long Distance Hurdle.

Paisley Park Prize Money

Paisley Park won over £720,000 in prize money in his illustrious career, with all but one of his career starts coming over hurdles.

£545,373 of his earnings came via wins, showing what a prestigious career in the sport he enjoyed.

Paisley Park News

Paisley Park competed in the Stayers' Hurdle - a race he won in 2019 - on the third day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival but finished 10th of 12, 15 lengths behind the winner Teahupoo, meaning connections decided it was time to draw the curtain on his brilliant career.

He had finished third in the previous two runnings of the Stayers' Hurdle but, with a significant drop in performance this time around, Gemmell and Co concluded that would be the son of Oscar's final outing.

'He's had a great career and this is his time to bid farewell,' Gemmell said. 'He's been marvellous.'

His trainer Lavelle was full of praise, stating 'He's so special...you knew watching the racing, he'd travel, he'd have his flat spot, he's not going to win and then, suddenly, he is going to win! He's such a hard horse to describe, he's meant so much to all of us'.

It is fair to say Paisley Park will be fondly remembered by connections and fans alike and his exceptional career should certainly be celebrated.