A Ben Pauling horse who is likely to strip fitter next time and a long-term Albert Bartlett contender feature among this week's Horses to Follow from the Trackside Live team.
Trial By Jury (Ben Pauling)
December 17, Newbury - Amber River Life Landscaping EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle
Ben Pauling boasts a strong hand of exciting horses this season with The Jukebox Man, Handstands and Diva Luna all in his stable, but the new recruits keep coming - and impressing.
We probably wouldn’t need the monogrammed rugs to spot a Pauling horse in the paddock - they have a tendency to be fit, well-presented and neatly put together, not overly big but well balanced and athletic. Trial By Jury was different: he was all man, a big grey point-to-point recruit who easily fit the ‘archetypal chaser’ stereotype with a deep chest and girth.
He had a presence about him and the comment in the paddock was simple. ‘Seriously impressive individual, not sure he’s 100% fit but might be good enough’ and he very nearly was. Although Trial By Jury couldn’t find the acceleration to pass the racy Kripticjim in the closing stages, his three-quarter length second suddenly looks very promising if there’s further fitness to find.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits
Contacto (Lucy Wadham)
December 17, Newbury - Best Odds Guaranteed Still At BetVictor Maiden Hurdle
Newbury was a worthwhile place to see stars of the future, with only two of the seven races staged handicaps.
In the maiden hurdle, Lucy Wadham’s flat recruit Contacto appealed from a straightforward paddock perspective as a horse who would improve for the run - he ran credibly well to finish fourth, given he put in a display of novicey jumping and bumped with faller My Fortune at the first flight.
Formerly trained by Andrew Balding, Contacto was rated 86 on the Flat and showed some useful form, winning twice and placing a further five times - including twice over staying distances at Haydock.
On reflection and a deeper dive into his pedigree, the gelding also caught the eye from a breeding perspective. A Study Of Man, owned and bred by Kirsten Rausing before changing hands at the Autumn Horses In Training Sale for 52,000 guineas, he is from the same maternal family as impressive Cheltenham winner Minella Study.
The pair both feature Alouette in their pedigree (Contacto, second dam: Minella Study, third dam), making them closely related to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista - a beautifully-nurtured maternal line by Lanwades Stud and one that is seemingly beginning to produce useful hurdle performers.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsCrystal Island (Nicky Henderson)
December 19, Ascot - Howden Maiden Hurdle
Sticking up maiden hurdle winners is a bit obvious and not really my style (we've all seen it win, lovely) but when one wins that, pre-race, I think is going to come on quite a bit for the run then it's worth marking it up. Crystal Island, winner of the novice hurdle on Friday, is one such horse and has the potential to be very smart.
He came into the pre-parade and immediately stopped for a good look round, followed by a bit of a shout and there were clear signs of greenness straight away. When the rug came off I thought he'd definitely sharpen up for the run too; by no means unfit, but he'd come on for it.
The way he won was impressive, pulling clear with plenty in hand late on, and he'll only keep on improving. We rate the form too; third West Hill Verde is still one that's very much on the Trackside trackers and second home Off The Jury set the standard for them to aim at. 25s for the Albert Bartlett? I've seen worse prices.
Unlimited Replays
of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays
Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsMore from Sporting Life
- Free bets
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
