‘He’s small, cheeky, happy and loves having a fan base’: Meet a British hope for Cheltenham’s Stayers’ Hurdle – and the groom whose nails match his silks

One of the leading fancies for Thursday’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is the Emma Lavelle-trained gelding Ma Shantou.

The seven-year-old son of Shantou is a huge character on the yard and is looked after by devoted groom Libby Alvis, who told us all about the brilliant “Mash”, as he is known at home.

Ma Shantou in the Stayers’ Hurdle: ‘He loves a squeal and a buck’

Ma Shantou has won three of his last four hurdle races, all round Cheltenham. He arrives at the Festival as one of the leading fancies for the championship race on day three, the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. It was Ma Shantou’s dominant success in the Cleeve Hurdle in January that really stamped him as a contender for the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Trainer Emma Lavelle won the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2019 with hurdling hero Paisley Park, but the two horses are chalk and cheese to look at. Ma Shantou may only be small, but he has all the heart to win, says groom Libby Alvis, who joined the Wiltshire stables in September. Keep a look out for Libby’s nails, which are decorated to match the red, white and blue silks of owners, the Mighty Acorn Stables.

“He’s been my ride since day one,” says Libby. “Luckily he kind of fell into my lap and we clicked instantly.

“I was told to watch out because he can throw a buck here and he can do this and that and I thought, ‘Yeah, whatever, he’s harmless – look at the size of him! But I soon found out that Mash is a very happy boy!

“Anyone can get on him and he’ll be a very good boy, then I’ll get on him the next day and he’s squealing, grunting and he’s happy again.”

‘He has a pony personality’

According to Libby, she and Mash are so well matched because “we both have very childish personalities”.

“He’ll squeal and then I’ll squeal louder,” she says. “Daryl Jacob recently came to do a piece on him and I said ‘He’s going to squeal here and buck here’ and he totally showed me up – he was foot perfect.”

In the stable, Mash is cheeky and he loves attention.

“He has a pony personality,” says Libby. “He’ll have a play with you as well.

“He’s totally predictable though – we have the same routine every single day. He knows and I know exactly what’s coming next.”

Neck tickles are top priority

Harry Cobden is booked to ride Ma Shantou in the Stayers’ Hurdle but Libby does all the riding on him at home.

“He is so fun to ride,” she says. “He’s one of those horses that when you get on them they just grow in height because of their personality.

“You’ll be happy hacking along and then all of a sudden you’re doing a piece of work and he is then 16.3hh, and you’re like, what, where did he come from?

“At home, you wouldn’t know how good he is, though. Mash only does what Mash needs to do and then he’ll step it up when he has to, but he’s smart. He doesn’t ever overdo it.

“I didn’t know quite how good he would be when I arrived here,” she continues. “He had obviously had a few wins, but I didn’t know quite how good he’d be until I worked him on the grass – out of nowhere he just came out of a shell and I just thought, wow!”

At the races, Libby’s trick is to lead him round while giving him “little tickles on his neck and saying his name, just saying things to him”.

“He loves it, he thrives off it,” she explains. “He just loves being hyped up, he loves having a fan base.

“So I’ll do that for a bit, then they tell me I have to trot him up and I’m like, oh, no and he’ll have his little squeal and a buck. There’s absolutely no malice in him. He’s just so happy all the time.”

Ma Shantou and King’s Threshold at the Cheltenham Festival: ‘It’s going to be fun!’

Libby Alvis was hoping to have a relatively quiet free days in the build-up to Thursday’s big race, when it will all become very busy. As well as Mash, she looks after King’s Threshold, who runs in the 5.20pm race on Thursday, the Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup of amateur jockeys, with Harry Swan riding.

“I’ve got lots of hyping to do, but it’s going to be really good fun,” she says. “Mash will need my attention more than Threshold – Mash likes to be the centre of attention and he likes to be told he’s a good boy. But he’s feeling very, very well so I’m just trying to keep a lid on him – and me!”

Ma Shantou runs in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at 3.20pm on Thursday 12 March. You can enjoy the bumper magazine report from the Cheltenham Festival in H&H magazine, which hits the shops on Thursday 19 March.

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