Ben Pauling stable tour ahead of the start of the National Hunt season
Leading trainer Ben Pauling provides a horse-by-horse guide to his team for the upcoming jumps season, with Willoughby Court set to return at Carlisle.
LEGAL EYES
He’s a horse that didn’t win either bumper last year. He was just a shell of a horse but I think a lot of him and he’s an exceptional jumper. He could be really exciting novice hurdler for this season. He probably has the class and the enthusiasm to win over two miles.
BATTYS DILEMMA
I own him so come and find me if you want to buy him! He won his only point to point a couple of years ago, had a bit of a knock, but he’s absolutely 100% now and I think he’s a horse that will go very far in novice hurdles.
A HARE BREATH
He’s been amazing and will be back over fences this year. He had a good season last year and we probably rode him incorrectly in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. But he’ll be a very useful two mile handicap chaser.
ESPOIR DE LOIRE
He’s a new Irish recruit who won his only start as a four-year-old. He’s a very nice individual and he’s pleased me in everything he's done so far.
NADAITAK
He was trained by Sir Michael Stoute and was rated 87 on the Flat. He’s a very, very big and imposing type. Quite laidback but he has plenty of boot and could be quite exciting over two miles in novice hurdles.
JALEO
He’s off to America in October and will be entered into the American National but also the novice event on the same day and I think he’ll be suited by the conditions over there. And it’ll be a great trip to be part of.
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GOWITHTHEFLOW
His form was very good – two seconds before he won, beating Paisley Park at Doncaster. He was then eighth in the Ballymore which wasn’t a bad run at all and having been put away for the season he comes back as a novice chaser. Hopefully he could be quite decent at that game.
NORTHERN BOUND
Another interesting Irish recruit and a half-brother to Balnaslow. His former trainer thought a lot of him and he seems a very nice individual who will be ideal to novice hurdling.
LE BREUIL
He had a torrid season last year with injury but still managed to get his head in front and finished with a bit of consistency. He could go a long way as a novice chaser this time around if we’re able to keep him on the straight and narrow. He’s rated 142 so handicaps will be an option for him.
RINTULLA
He’s a nice store horse from last season and he’s an absolute aeroplane to jump and he goes very nicely as well. He could just end up being a bumper horse this season though because he’s a really big horse.
BANANA JOE
Another very nice four-year-old that’s shown us everything we want to see. He’s a gelding by Getaway and could just be one of our earlier runners this year. But he’s a proper 16-3 chasing type for the future.
NESTOR PARK
Probably our best bumper horse last season, beating Portrush Ted at Ascot, and he was over the top when he ran at the Festival. There could be earlier targets for him and I think he’s made for the Challow Hurdle, if I had to name a possible target.
HIDDEN GLEN
He won first time up at Southwell but then disappointed. He showed talent and didn’t really follow through but he looks stronger now and he’s a very natural talent. He just needs to be campaigned properly to see his best attributes come to the fore.
CAVOK
Cavok is a mare that ran in a mares bumper at Chepstow and was third, the winner Meep Meep went on to be fourth in the big race at Aintree. She’d won a point to point and actually came back a little bit wrong from Chepstow so I think she could be quite useful. She loves soft ground.
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BARTERS HILL
I could not be happier with this lad, I’ve not been this happy with him to be honest through the whole of last year. He’s moving better, he’s a much happier horse and he’s got his old way of going back. He’s going to go back novice chasing this year and could be worth following again. It’d be mad to think he can get back to right where he was as a novice but it'd be great if he can win a few races over fences this season.
Bottomless reserves of guts & stamina, Barters Hill now unbeaten in seven starts, wins the River Don @DoncasterRaces https://t.co/cMkNBcBdZO
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) January 30, 2016
GLOBAL CITIZEN
A horse that we’re very excited about. You didn’t see the best of Global Citizen at Aintree, but you did see him at Kempton. We’re going to keep him over hurdles and possibly start him off in the Listed race at Kempton on October 21.
WILLOUGHBY COURT
He’s come back in looking brilliant. We’ve given him a little wind op, we just maybe heard a little bit of a whistle that day at Cheltenham when he was beaten and it was well-documented that he missed the Festival after suffering a foot abscess. That is now well behind us, it’s great to have him back and we plan on going up for the intermediate chase at Carlisle – the Colin Parker Chase – on November 4 and if that goes well then he’ll probably have an entry at Newbury (Ladbrokes Trophy).
DELIRE D’ESTRUVAL
He won a Listed novice for us and another novice for us at Towcester. He’s not the biggest but he has jumped fences in France and we’ve already schooled him over a fence. He’ll be a good two mile novice chaser on deep ground.
KILDISART
He went through the ranks quite nicely last year and Aintree may have been one run too many. He’s a horse I think a lot of and he’s made for fences and he could swiftly become a decent novice chaser for the season.
MY MATE MARK
He joined from Martin Smith this season and he ran well for his previous trainer, finishing mid-division in the Champion Bumper in 2017 after winning well at Southwell. He’s done well and looks a very nice horse, with all the qualities you could possibly wish for. Look out for him in novice hurdles.
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