Will Ben Pauling be celebrating at Cheltenham again come March?

Ben Pauling: Trains Slipway

Somerset National preview | Slipway bids to enhance Grand National claims

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Tue January 17, 2023 · 3y ago

Ben Pauling hopes Slipway can enhance the prospects of giving his famous owner a runner in the Randox Grand National at Aintree by extending his winning sequence in the Somerset National Handicap Chase at Wincanton on Thursday.

Owned by Valda Embiricos, widow of Nick Embiricos, who saw his silks famously carried to glory in the 1981 Grand National by Aldaniti, the lightly-raced eight year old will bid to book his ticket in the Aintree spectacle on April 15 with victory in the feature prize.

Slipway, who will face 10 rivals, arrives at the Somerset track chasing a ‘National’ hat-trick having signed off last season with victory in the Highland National at Perth in April before landing the Southern National at Fontwell on his return to action in November.

Despite the Stowaway gelding now racing off a career-high mark of 140 the Gloucestershire handler, who has already beaten his personal best seasonal total of 44 winners, remains confident he can defy that figure and extend his upward trajectory.

Pauling said: “I’ve long thought he could be a Grand National horse just because he jumps and travels so well and I think he would be tailor-made for those fences at Aintree.

“He is still a relatively young horse and his owner always gives them plenty of time but with their huge history in Grand National it would be lovely to have another runner in it for them.

“The extended three and a quarter miles here will be sharp enough for him but there was not a lot else to go for before the Grand National weights come out as he needs to go up five or six pounds in the weights.

“He was due to go to Warwick on Saturday but the ground went against him but hopefully we will get some better ground at Wincanton.

“He is a lovely horse and I don’t think he has finished improving yet.”

Although Slipway only has 11 career starts to his name Pauling insists much of that was down to just needing time to come to hand opposed to meeting with setbacks.

Pauling said: “Touch wood, he has never had an injury in his life but he was not the most robust horse when he was younger.

“He was quite light-framed and everything he did he took quite hard and he would lose a lot of weight after his races.

“This season is the first time he has really been able to handle everything.

“The only reason he hasn’t run since November is because a few things, like the ground, haven’t fallen his way. He is very well in himself and spot on to do the job on Thursday.”

Retaining the ride at Wincanton will be jockey Luca Morgan, who has steered Slipway to all three of his career successes.

Pauling added: “Luca gets on very well with the horse but I dare say if Kielan (Woods, stable jockey) got back on him he would do just as well.

“Luca has been the one lucky enough to capitalise on him and do the steering in his recent races so he will continue to retain the ride.”

3:00pm Somerset National Handicap Chase 3m 2f 162y

1 Coeur Serein (IRE) p 9 12 0 Andy Ralph Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr.
2 Slipway (IRE) 8 12 0 Mrs S. N. J. Embiricos Ben Pauling Luca Morgan
3 Moroder (IRE) 9 11 6 Mrs Ann Leftley Seamus Mullins James Best
4 Copperhead p 9 11 5 Mrs G. C. Pritchard Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell
5 Southfield Harvest p 9 11 4 Mrs Angela Yeoman & Mr Paul K. Barber Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden
6 Fuji Flight (FR) 8 11 2 George and Drury Venetia Williams Miss Lucy Turner (5)
7 Red Happy (FR) bl,ts 6 10 8 Judith Wilson David Pipe Tom Scudamore
8 Trixster (IRE) ts 10 10 2 The Pant Wilkin Partnership Tim Vaughan Charlie Price (3)
9 Butterwick Brook (IRE) bl 8 9 11 The Butterwick Syndicate Joe Tizzard Freddie Gingell (7)
10 D'Jango (FR) bl,ts 10 9 10 Judith Wilson David Pipe David Noonan
11 Abaya du Mathan (FR) bl,ts 11 8 7 Judith Wilson David Pipe James Davies

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