Ben Pauling Stable Tour

Form profile

142-rated chaser. Winner of both of her Listed Mares’ Novices’ Chases beating Joyeuse 19 lengths at Bangor (2m 1½f) in November and Blue Las three and a half lengths at Warwick (2m 4f) in December.

Trainer says

We had to give her two weeks off when she rapped her joint but, thankfully, she has come good. It was a pain in the backside as she missed the Scilly Isles and that has been her aim all season. I was toying with the idea of say should we just finish there but I thought I would try and see where we were with her and I must say I am delighted. She went for a racecourse gallop at Warwick last Friday and went through it very nicely and went through a blow 50 yards from the line. That will have put her straight and she is very clean winded. She goes for the Mares’ Chase and I think she is so unexposed - she is two from two over fences and a very likeable mare. There are some very good mares in there but, hopefully, she can be competitive.

Form profile

137-rated hurdler. Returned to winning form with a neck success from John Barbour in a handicap hurdle at Ascot (2m 3½f) in February off a mark of 133.

Trainer says

He won the handicap hurdle at Ascot ten days ago and I have been dying to run him over two and a half for a long time. There are a few different opinions between ourselves and the owners as to whether he will stay or not and I’m am delighted with the form he showed at Ascot. He is a little bit of an in and out character but on his day he is very good. Woodsie (Kielan) gets on particularly well with him and he will probably go for the Coral Cup or the Martin Pipe I would imagine.

Form profile

155-rated chaser. Finished third, beaten six and a quarter lengths, to Protektorat in the valuable Fleur de Lys Chase at Windsor (2m 6f) in January.

Trainer says

I am this horse’s biggest fan and I don’t think he has had any luck this season whatsoever. He looked rusty at Carlisle and hung up the home straight after jumping and travelling well in the Betfair Chase. Ben (Jones) had never heard any issues with his wind but we had it checked and it was unstable. We have had that fixed and we came back relatively quickly for the Fleur de Lys and he probably a piece or two short trying to give 8lb to Protektorat. He hasn’t run a bad race all season and is in particularly good order now. He is in the Ultima, the Gold Cup and in the Ryanair. If Fact Or File and Gaelic Warrior end up in the Gold Cup you could easily see him ending up in the Ryanair. If it’s not that I could see him carrying topweight in the Ultima. If it was a weaker Ryanair that could be fun.

Form profile

131-rated hurdler. Winner of his first two starts over hurdles at Leicester (2m 4½f) beating Island Bridge five lengths in a maiden event and following up with a 13-length victory from Arcadian Star. Finished fourth, beaten 18 ½ lengths, to Thedeviluno in the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster (3m ½f) in January.

Trainer says

He won his first two novice hurdles at Leicester very well indeed and I honestly couldn’t see him being beaten in the River Don but he didn’t go a yard and hated the tacky ground. You can write that off and the owners are keen to go for the Albert Bartlett. He will outrun his odds and he is a proper chaser in the making.

Form profile

128-rated hurdler. Made a winning reappearance in a handicap hurdle at Doncaster (2m ½f) in December when beating Williethebuilder eight and a half lengths off a mark of 116 but unplaced in two races since.

Trainer says

I’m not sure he will be going and I’m in two minds with this lad. He is on the cusp of handicaps now and he was very good early doors. I thought he would win the Lanzarote and he crapped himself over the first two or three and then got out of his ground and then finished fifth. Again, the other day he ran in the William Hill Hurdle and went ok but that ground was atrocious. He was still there three out and then he just finished seventh beaten a country mile but everything was by Tutti Quanti. I think he is still the right side of the handicapper if I am honest but, he might need an easier assignment. He still has an entry in the Martin Pipe and the Coral Cup.

Form profile

146-rated chaser. Completed a hat trick over fences when scoring by seven lengths from Hansard in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton (2m) in December. Finished third, beaten 27 lengths, to Steel Ally in the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick (2m) this month.

Trainer says

Obviously we were all disappointed with Warwick as he was so progressive early season. I blame myself straightaway as I ran him too many times as a young horse but he has come out of it fine. A much wiser man than me told me that, basically, his jumping is his asset and in all his other races he was gaining five lengths at a fence but at Warwick he lost an average of six lengths at every fence. I thought he loved heavy ground but I think I was wrong on that too; he is French and jumps fences very accurate and was using the same technique in heavy ground and was meeting them halfway up. He’s now in the Arkle, Jack Richards, Johnny Henderson and the Plate - I don’t know where he is running yet but if he is in very good form he will go or he will wait for the two and half mile Grade 1 at Aintree. He has been out for a schooling session with Laura Collett since and he was just electric. I think this is a lovely horse for the future. If he tells us he is ready to go then we will have a look but there is no hurry and there is no definitive answer as yet.

Form profile

139-rated chaser. Last of six, beaten 51 lengths, to Lulamba in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury (2m ½f) this month but had previously beaten Dedicated Hero a length and three quarters in a novices chase at Ayr (2m ½f) in January.

Trainer says

He is a very nice, very likeable horse and I think he is going to be a very smart horse for the future. He has been running over two miles and I think he will benefit from a step up in trip. He has a good attitude and just couldn’t handle the ground at Newbury last time out. For a big horse, I think he wants good to soft, good ground not heavy. He won on it despite the ground and, hopefully is one to look forward to for years to come. He is entered in the Jack Richards.

Form profile

134-rated hurdler. Rapidly improving young hurdler who gained his second success over hurdle in a novice event at Ascot (2m 3½f) this month when scoring by seven lengths from Kildinan Prince.

Trainer says

He has done nothing wrong at all and came out of the Maxwell dispersal. I didn’t really know much about him but he seemed a nice type and Ludlow was good and Ascot was good. He has come out of that race well and it seems like he has come alive. He seems incredibly fresh and well in himself and he is in the Turners and the Albert Bartlett. I am not sure he is an Albert Bartlett horse, but he might end up running in it although I have not made my mind up yet. I think he will stay every yard but he doesn’t necessarily need a slog - we will make a late call on where he goes.

Form profile

149-rated chaser. Has run very well in all four runs over fences and returned to winning form when beating Be Aware a length in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor (2m) in January. Had previously finished third, beaten 12¾ lengths, to Steel Ally in a Grade 2 Novices’ Chase at Ascot (2m 3f) in December and also runner-up, beaten two lengths, to Wendigo in another Grade 2 at Newbury (2m 4f) in November.

Trainer says

He has had a brilliant season really - it was a very off race at Windsor as they went so fast and it looked like he had no hope then came and caught Be Aware on the line. How that form will work out I don’t know but he is still in the Arkle and I think the way this lad is ridden you could probably nick a bit of money - maybe third or fourth. I don’t expect to see him beating Kopek Des Bordes or Lulamba. He is also in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual and the Jack Richards and is in the Plate. I think he is as effective over two and a half as he is over two and I am sweet on him. He is in very, very good nick and has had a great preparation. It looks like he is coming particularly well to himself at the moment.

Form profile

129-rated hurdler. Finished runner-up, beaten half a length, to Ace Of Spades in a Pertemps Qualifier at Huntingdon (3m 1f) in January off a mark of 126.

Trainer says

He goes for the Pertemps. He was very progressive early season and I was actually pleased with his run at Huntingdon where he just got nabbed on the line by Ace Of Spades. I am desperate for him to run in a race where they go a decent gallop and he doesn’t necessarily have to make the running. He is a pretty free-going individual and I would love to see him come off a quick pace. I wouldn’t say he is going to win a Pertemps but I think he will be competitive to a level.

Form profile

Winner of a four-year-old huddle at Cagnes-Sur-Mer (2m 1f) on New Year’s Day when beating No Limits Steve 10 lengths.

Trainer says

He has been with us two and half to three weeks and has come from France. He has been bought by some owners and is already qualified for the Fred Winter. He seems nice but I don’t know much about him and it’s one of those stabs in the dark and it is hard work to expect a horse coming from France to be competitive in the Fred Winter but they are a great new bunch of owners and we will see what we can do.

Form profile

133-rated chaser. Returned to winning form with a 17-length victory from Quebecois in a novices’ chase at Newbury (2m ½f) this month.

Trainer says

He beat Jango Baie in the Premier Hurdle at Kelso and he is a good horse. I put him in a bone scan after Ascot as I was so worried he wasn’t doing it, was there was something physically wrong? It came back fine and we put the blinkers on, and off he went. It looks like they will work again and then I will take them off. Once I have convinced him it’s more fun, you don’t need to bully him. The Grand Annual, I’m not sure - I think he is a horse that thrives in small fields. I should have run him in the Pendil but I didn’t.

Form profile

141-rated chaser. Returned to winning form with a 13-length success from Hunter Legend in a handicap chase at Sandown (3m) at the end of January.

Trainer says

He is a horse with loads of ability but probably not the best jumper and he is a bit of an arrogant sod. That is probably going to stop him from being as good as he could be but he was very good around Sandown the other day and Ben has worked out how to ride him. He stays every yard and I think he will be very competitive in the National Hunt Chase.

Form profile

134-rated hurdler. Winner of his first two starts over hurdles beating Precious Metal eight and a half lengths at Stratford (2m ½f) in October and followed up with a four and a quarter length success from Captain Hugo at Aintree (2m 1f) in December. Finished runner-up, beaten a short head, to Kripticjim in a Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham (2m 4½f) in January.

Trainer says

Taurus Bay is in the Turners, I took him out of the Supreme, and he is a very, very talented horse and still a shell of a horse at the moment. Even though he is the Turners I want to see a little bit more from him before I roll the dice. If I go there, he will be ready to go there but I think he is a proper, proper chaser for next year.

Form profile

142-rated chaser. Winner of three of his four starts over fences and scored by five and a half lengths from Western Knight on his latest start in the Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot (3m) this month.

Trainer says

He is a lovely horse and he is still in the National Hunt Chase. I am still very tempted by the Irish National with him but he has come out of the Reynoldstown very well and the National Hunt Chase is worth thinking about.

Form profile

168-rated chaser. Winner of all four of his chases. Scored by two and a half lengths from Iroko in a Graduation Chase at Haydock (2m 5½f) in November and followed up with a nose success from Banbridge in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton (3m) on Boxing Day.

Trainer says

His whole season was geared to getting him ready for the King George - it was a never a plan to return in the autumn as he had his injury and you never know how they are going to react to having had an injury. It was a steady start and we didn’t just drop the handbrake and let him go flat out. We brought him back slowly and we were nervous that he wasn’t fit enough for Haydock but he did it nicely. Obviously, the King George was an exceptional day - out of the back of the King George, Harry and I had discussed it for a long time that if we were lucky enough to run well in the King George that we would look at a Gold Cup. That is what we have done and he has come out of the King George very well - actually better than I expected. If I had wanted to, we could have put him in a Denman Chase or something but I don’t think that we needed to. We know him very well and when he is right and what needs to done to have him absolutely cherry ripe. Having a horse of his calibre in the form he is in, touch wood, at the moment going to the Gold Cup is an exceptionally exciting thing for me, for Sophie and the whole team and doing it for a man like Harry who is a bit of a National Treasure. We have had a relationship for the past seven or eight years and it has gone very well and it is a special thing for all of us - I think getting him there in the form he is in is going to give us one helluva day and a chance to win the big one. I personally think the Gold Cup will be a much better test for him than the King George. He won the Kauto Star and he obviously likes Kempton but I think this horse likes any track. He is very uncomplicated, goes through his races sweetly and jumps very well and that is the key to these top three-mile chases. You have to be able to jump and travel and if you are missing fences it is going to be hard work. People who ask the tricky question and say Ben he got collared over three miles in the Albert Bartlett but if you look back at that race he was ridden very positively and was out on his own for three miles. He kicked for home early off and bundled the last. I firmly believe this horse will stay and will be more effective over the Gold Cup trip than he would be over a sharp three miles at Kempton. From the back of three out I honestly thought, as it was panning out, that he would go and win the King George by three or four lengths comfortably, but they didn’t just gain on us but he was behind again. It was only his tenacity and will to win that got him there. I’m not deluded to think that the performances he has put up to date is good enough to win a Gold Cup traditionally, and you can make a case for seven or eight horses in the race. There isn’t a standout but after 4.00pm in the afternoon on March 13 you can bet there will be a standout as something is going to win the race. I jolly well hope it is us but if it is not it is not. If he is in the best form we can have him, then we can do more. He had to step forward 15lb to win the King George and he did and if he can improve again, we can be competitive. Realistically, you have to be rated 175 to win a Gold Cup so we are 7lb short.

Form profile

141-rated chaser. Progressing nicely and followed up a seven-length victory from Stencil in a novices’ handicap chase at Ascot in December off a mark of 126 with a four and a quarter length win from Kotmask in a handicap chase at Sandown (1m 7½f) in January off a mark of 134.

Trainer says

He has the profile of an improving novice which is always helpful in a race like the Grand Annual. He didn’t turn up in his first two runs of the season and at one stage I thought he was going to be my best novice chaser. I have to admit that after Lingfield I was mightily disappointed. I thought he was going nowhere, then at Ascot he sought of looked a little bit lethargic early doors and looked like he didn’t believe in himself and then all of a sudden the race set up very nicely for him and he won. He looked a much better horse around Sandown the other day so we will look forward to it - if he gets a nice passage he is in very good order. I would have had him down as my Arkle hope at the start of the season. He has the ability to go a fair bit higher.