Ben Pauling Stable Tour

Form profile

113 rated hurdler. Placed in his three runs over hurdles last season and finished third, beaten five and quarter lengths, to Royal Rambler when last seen out in a maiden hurdle at Chepstow (2m 3 1/2f) in February.

Trainer says

He is a nice little horse, and he didn’t get the chance to show what he is made of. He was supposed to run in the EBF Final but missed out by one. He then pulled some muscle behind but is probably the right side of the handicapper. He is a nice individual who will probably go handicap hurdling to start with and then novice handicap chasing later in the season.

Form profile

138 rated chaser. Winner of back-to-back handicap chases at Kempton (2m 4 1/2f) in February and March - beating Keep Running on the first occasion by 10 lengths of a mark of 125 and following up with a half-length success from Flegmatik off a mark of 134.

Trainer says

I was delighted to see him produce the goods last season and he is in very good form. He will probably run at Kempton on October 19 as a prep for the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November. We will play his season by ear from there, but he is in pretty good order. I think he has been a bit of a character who we have had to work out how to get the best out of.

Form profile

Scored by seven lengths from Aj’s Diamond on her debut in a bumper at Warwick in February before finishing unplaced in a Grade 2 Mares’ bumper at Aintree in April.

Trainer says

She is a nice mare, and she won well at Warwick and bombed out at Aintree like a few of ours did, they didn’t really run very well really. She needs to brush up on her jumping, but she should be very capable of winning mares’ novices’ hurdles. We will see how good she is before we think of things like the mares’ final at Newbury.

Form profile

129 rated hurdler. Highly progressive in 2023-24 season when landing the Grade 3 National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Sandown (2m 4f) by a length and a half from Pic Roc off a mark of 124. Disappointing in three outings last season.

Trainer says

He had a rubbish season and after winning the EBF Final at Sandown he was plagued by issues. That resulted in him having an early finish to his season, but he is back in looking great and schooled over a fence for the first time last week and he will be going novice handicap chasing.

Form profile

Finished third, beaten a length, to Swindon Village in a bumper at Ffos Las in November.

Trainer says

He is a nice individual and he ran well on his only start. He returned from Ffos Las with a niggly issue and we had to give him the rest of the season off. He has come back in, looks a much stronger horse and works well. He will be a two-mile novice hurdler

Form profile

133 rated hurdler. One of her best efforts last season when third, beaten six lengths, to Air Of Entitlement in the Grade 2 Ryanair Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham (2m 1f) in March.

Trainer says

“Diva Luna had a good year last year on the face of it but compared to what I was expecting it wasn’t there, I thought she was going to be untouchable. She was doing everything the wrong way around, but she ran well at the Festival and it was a bit of a stop-start season. I am looking forward to seeing her over a fence, she jumped over a fence for the first time last week and she was absolutely electric. She should be good for those Mares’ listed novice chases. Then we will see where we are and whether we take on the boys later in the season or leave her in the Mares’ races.

Form profile

105 rated hurdler. Dual bumper winner who didn’t come up to expectations in his first season over hurdles when placed in two of his 3 starts.

Trainer says

He was a nice horse in bumpers and had a wind issue. We have rectified the wind issue as well as we can, and I think he was running a bit on his nerves last year as a result of that and it didn’t go to plan. He jumped a fence last week and will go novice handicap chasing. He is 30lb well in on his bumper form but has had a wind issue. If he can find half of that bumper ability he should have a good season.

Form profile

136 rated hurdler. At his best last season when short heading Kabral Du Mathan in a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot (1m 7 1/2f) in December off a mark of 128.

Trainer says

He is going to have a go novice chasing and obviously did well last year winning a big handicap after a tardy start. It was great to see him win at Ascot and he is very good fresh. He will go novice chasing and we will probably aim him at something like the Noel Novices’ Chase.

Form profile

157 rated chaser. Completed a hat-trick in novice chase company when landing the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown (2m 4f) in February by a short head from Jango Baie.

Trainer says

I couldn’t be happier with him, and he looks a million dollars. He looks bigger and stronger than last year, and he will start in the Colin Parker at Carlisle. He will go for either the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury or the Betfair Chase at Haydock. We will take his season from there and I don’t necessarily think he is a King George horse, but he might be suitable for the Cotswold Chase or something like that.

Form profile

143 rated chaser. Gained his last success in the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury (3m 2f) in December when scoring by six lengths from Hymac off a mark of 138.

Trainer says

He is high enough in the handicap and will be running in some of those better handicap chases. Whether we go for the Coral Gold Cup, I’m not sure. We could go for anything around those trips; he could go for the Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot or something like that. He is in good form and seems well and we will have a crack at a few of those, we could look at a Becher Chase, but he’s been a great servant. He is probably in his prime this year and we will see if we can find a bit of improvement and win one of those big handicaps.

Form profile

Finished fourth, beaten a length and a half, to Poetisa in a mares’ bumper at Cheltenham in April.

Trainer says

She is a very talented mare who is always in a rush and needs to settle. She has a brilliant jump and if we can get her to settle in her races, she could be capable of running in mares’ novices’ hurdles at Festivals. She just needs to relax and do it properly.

Form profile

123 rated hurdler. Winner of his first two novice hurdles scoring by a length and a quarter from Metkayina at Lingfield (2m 3 1/2f) in November and then beating Tamarind Bay a length and a half at Market Rasen (2m 4 1/2f) in December.

Trainer says

He is a nice individual who was late coming back to us, and he won’t be ready until December. He will go novice handicap chasing and we could keep him for the novice handicap chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. He will need a bit of a break after that as he is best when fresh and his first two runs are his best. If he runs well enough early in the season he could end up in those better novice handicap chases in the spring.

Form profile

132 rated hurdler. Made a winning debut for the stable when beating Blue Las six lengths in a maiden hurdle at Ffos Las in November but cut little ice in three runs after.

Trainer says

He is a lovely individual, and I don’t think he quite stays three miles at the moment. He loves soft ground, and I think he could be a very good novice chaser for the season over two and a half miles, and we will take it from there.

Form profile

Finished fourth, beaten five and a half lengths, to Dysart Dolomite in a valuable bumper at Ayr in April.

Trainer says

He is a horse I like, and I really think this horse is a proper type. He won his point-to-point and ran nicely up at Ayr considering how ours were running at the time. I think he could be a proper two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdler and whether he will end up in the EBF Final or whether he is good enough to be a Graded horse, I do not know. Though I think he is a proper one.

Form profile

116 rated hurdler. Off the mark with a five-length victory from Sweet Magic in a handicap hurdle at Warwick (2m 3f) in February off a mark of 108.

Trainer says

He is an absolute dinger of a horse, and he will be campaigned over hurdles again this season. He won’t be seen until December time and I would suggest he could be a horse that could end up in one of the Festival Handicaps. He is a proper terrier of a horse, and we like him a lot.

Form profile

128 rated chaser. A winner of a novices’ handicap chase at Kempton (2m 4 1/2f) on Boxing Day when beating Asta La Pasta a length and a quarter off a mark of 120 and followed up with a half-length success from Classic Anthem in a similar contest at Warwick (2m 4f) in January off a mark of 124.

Trainer says

He had a good year, and he doesn’t look like he comes up hill at the moment. He looks like he’s a flat-track bully so we will start him off on flat track. I know his owner is very keen to see him get up some hills at some point, but we will take it from there. He is that sort of second season novice chaser, a proper decent handicapping type over two and a half to three miles.

Form profile

Made winning debut in a bumper at Warwick in December when scoring by a neck from Tormund Giantsbane but disappointed in two runs in bumpers at Windsor in January and Warwick in March.

Trainer says

He won well at Warwick, and he was a bit of a playboy last year. There is no doubt he has plenty of ability he just needs to get his mind in gear. He ran a couple of lacklustre races after Warwick which was disappointing, but he is a very good jumper and a good work horse. I dare say that if I campaign him a little bit more sparingly in his races, he could become a nice novice hurdler.

Form profile

Runner-up in two of his three bumpers and came closest to success when failing by a neck behind Swingin Safari on his debut at Wincanton in November.

Trainer says

He ran well in bumpers without winning. He wouldn’t be the biggest horse, but he is fairly athletic and, hopefully, will be up to winning a novice hurdle or two. We will then take it from there.

Form profile

128 rated hurdler. Off the mark for his stable when beating St Pancras a length and a quarter in the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton (2m) in February.

Trainer says

He is a lovely individual who was a big backward baby last year. He was a bit above himself last year at home and was fairly hard to get fit, but he did it nicely at Kempton and was probably not himself at Aintree. We will go novice chasing with the four-year-old allowance and chasing is going to be his game looking at him. I can’t wait to see how he gets on.

Form profile

133 rated hurdler. Completed a hat-trick over hurdles when beating Mythical Moon a neck at Doncaster (2m 1/2f) in January. Finished third, beaten three quarters of a length, to Laurens Bay in the Grade 3 National Hunt Novices’ Handicap at Sandown (2m 4f) in March off a mark of 128.

Trainer says

He is a lovely individual who did well to win over two miles. He had a bit more speed than I expected and he went to the EBF Final and sadly his trach wash wasn’t perfect, and I understand how we got beat. He is a big horse who is a chaser through and through and he schooled brilliantly last week. He could make up into a nice novice handicap chaser by the end of the season.

Form profile

136 rated hurdler. Gained his third win of last season when beating John Barber two lengths in a novices’ hurdle at Ludlow (2m) in February.

Trainer says

He is another nice novice chaser for the season. He did well in the Sydney Banks which I think was a good race. He will go novice chasing this year and two to two and a half miles will be for him. We will probably start over two and then step him up to two and a half after that. He could well be a graded horse, we will see.

Form profile

Finished fourth, beaten seven and quarter lengths, to The Long Point in a bumper at Huntingdon in May.

Trainer says

He picked up an injury at the beginning of last year, probably a hangover from the year before. I have always like him and he will be back, I should hope, around the New Year. He has loads of speed and is very naturally quick and I like him as an individual. I think he could be a decent novice, but we will have to get our skates on with him as he will be jumping in halfway through the season.

Form profile

Off the mark on his second run in a bumper when beating Moneygarrow a length and a quarter at Kempton in February.

Trainer says

He did well to run any sort of race last year as he was one of the most backward youngster we had. He put his best foot forward to run a nice race in the Listed bumper at Cheltenham and then won at Kempton. He jumps very well, and I think he could be a big talent for the future.

Form profile

137 rated chaser. Made the frame in four of his 5 starts last season and one of his best efforts when runner-up, beaten two and a quarter lengths, to Mark Of Gold in the Grade 2 Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot (2m 3f) in December.

Trainer says

We went chasing with him last year and I might go chasing with him again at some point. He ran in the Noel at Ascot last year and should have won but made a mistake at last for no reason whatsoever. He is still a novice chaser, and I like him. He might be better off in some small fields. I will start him off in handicap hurdles and go from there.

Form profile

134 rated chaser. Came closest to victory last season when runner-up, beaten a head, to Issam in a novices’ handicap chase at Exeter (2m 3f) in January off a mark of 132.

Trainer says

He is a horse I have always liked a lot, and he could go for the Coral Gold Cup even though he is still a novice. We will try to find him a novice chase to win in the none too distant future and then look to go maybe to Newbury. We will look towards a proper season, and he could always end up back in novices later in the season.

Form profile

Promise in two runs in mares’ bumpers for the stable. Finished third, beaten four and three quarter lengths, to Heron In The Park at Newbury in March and fifth, beaten the same distance, to Poetisa at Cheltenham in April.

Trainer says

She is a nice mare, and she ran two very nice races without winning a bumper. I think she has improved a ton, she jumps very well, and I look forward to seeing how she gets on in mares’ novices. That will steer us to which way we go.

Form profile

Winner of a mares bumper at Southwell in March when scoring by a length and three quarters to Service Minimum.

Trainer says

She is a very laid-back filly at home, and I couldn’t believe she was so keen at Uttoxeter first time out when ridden just behind the leaders. We dropped her out after at Southwell and she won well. She jumps nicely and she could be decent in mares‘ novices’ hurdles.

Form profile

122 rated hurdler. Off the mark over hurdles when beating Winchmore Hill two and a half lengths in a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter (2m) in January.

Trainer says

He is his own worst enemy as he has loads of ability and can jump but he just get too keen to get on with things. Although he is quite often the best horse in the race, he can sometimes put in too much into his race, and he comes home on fumes. He has to learn to relax and we schooled him last week over fences and he was very good. He should have won novice hurdles for sport, and he has just given himself a hard time. Jumping a fence might make him back off and he could be a decent individual going forward.

Form profile

122 rated hurdler. Made a winning debut over hurdles when landing a novice event at Uttoxeter (2m 4f) in March by three quarters of a length from Royal Rambler.

Trainer says

He is a nice individual who goes well at home but wouldn’t be the quickest thing on four legs but does have a lot of ability. He will be aimed at some novices’ handicap chases over three miles and then will probably end up, if he is good enough, in some decent races at the end of the season.

Form profile

141 rated chaser. Impressive winner of his two novices’ chases. Scored by two lengths from Masaccio in the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury (2m 4f) in November and followed up with a two and a half length success from Hyland in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton (3m) on Boxing Day.

Trainer says

The Jukebox Man is back in looking great and we are doing as much with him as we can. The aim is to run him in the Paddy Power or the 1965 Chase but the big aim is to get him spot on for the King George. We will see how we are fitness-wise, and if he is not ready, he won’t run, and we will find something else for him in prep for the King George. He is in good form, and he is one of the most exciting horses in the yard. He has just got that bit of extra.

Form profile

142 rated chaser and 139 rated hurdler. Finished runner-up, beaten two and a half lengths, to Beacon Edge in the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby (3m) on his reappearance last season and ended his season with a 10th, beaten 44 lengths, to Nick Rockett in the Grade 3 Grand National at Aintree (4m 2 1/2f) in April off a mark of 146.

Trainer says

He is a legend of a horse and is probably coming into the twilight years of his career. We gave him a nice awayday in the Grand National where he popped around and finished a very creditable tenth. He will be aimed at Veterans’ Chases, possibly the Becher Chase and possibly Cross-Country races. We will see if he enjoys those Cross-Country races, I took him hunting last week and he was deadly.

Form profile

Placed in three bumpers and came closest to winning when third, beaten three quarters of a length, to Claim The Throne at Exeter in February.

Trainer says

He is not the biggest horse in the world, but he has a great attitude. He ran very well in bumpers, jumps nicely and he should be capable of winning some two and a half miles novices’ hurdles and we will see how good he can become.

Form profile

128 rated hurdler. Winner of his first two races over hurdles beating George’s Lad a length at Huntingdon (2m) in January and followed up with an eight-length victory from Grenardier in a novice at Ludlow (2m) in February.

Trainer says

He is a very nice individual and we think a lot of this horse, he goes particularly well at home. He won his first two races and then bled up at Kelso in the Premier Novices’ Hurdle which was a shame, but we finished him off for the season. That was a one-off and he is back in and looking great. You won’t find a better novice chaser jumping like him in the country and he could be very good. We will see how we get on.

Form profile

121 rated hurdler. Off the mark in a maiden hurdle at Southwell (2m) in February when beating Beau Quali a length and quarter and followed up with a short head defeat of Galactic Charm at Huntingdon (2m) in March.

Trainer says

He is a nice individual and he was a bit of a surprise; I didn’t expect him to go so close first and then duly went and won his next two. He wasn’t right when he bombed out at Sandown, and he loves a bit of soft ground. I am not sure whether we will be leaving him over hurdles for a run or two. I will have to think.

Form profile

Off the mark on his second out for Richard Bandey when scoring by three and three quarter lengths from Amber Waves.

Trainer says

He is a great addition and is solid as a rock. He has a great attitude and works well and jumps well. He is a well above average novice hurdler and how good he will become, I simply don’t know.