After adding another Grade 2 win to his resume with a clear winner in the DragonBet Towton Novices’ Chase at Ffos Las, the Grade 1 tilt now beckons in a handstand.
The Ben Poehling-trained gelding, who received a five-pound penalty for winning at Sandown at the same level in December, led from Flagfall alongside Shelley Damm.
The latter eventually meekly dropped out after a handstand, allowing Ben Jones to take over and run away to fourth-last, although the prize-money favorite was a bit slow.
Lord of Thunder did very well trying to get back on his feet and go along after being severely hampered by Renji’s fall, but Handstand always seemed to be in control and drew just after the end.
It was a grueling match, but they were the only two to finish.
“I was very happy and learned a lot because I had never run on such sticky, tenacious, hard-working ground,” Pauling said.
“When I heard the reactions, some people said maybe he was a bit of a novice, but to be honest he was learning to get off the ground and trying too hard and ended up bloating a couple.” I think it’s just
“In the end he did very well and Ben was pleased with the way he jumped after inflating the groove. This is another step in the right direction. On paper it’s a pretty competitive field. It looked like it was going to be, but I know we had some bad luck in the third to last.” But they were all already at their limit and I think that’s probably why they fell.
“I was very impressed with how well he turned home. He accelerated out of the corner and kind of put the race to bed, and then somehow after the end he accelerated again. .
“Ben said he finished the race fresh as a daisy and doesn’t think he ran an overly hard race, which is quite unusual given today’s track. “I’m just happy and looking forward to another great race.” “It’s a step,” said a progressive young novice chaser. ”
Handstands could be back in action relatively quickly against Sandown on February 1 as he moves up to Grade 1 company in Virgin Bet’s Scilly Isles Novices Chase.
And with Pauling and the gelding’s owners willing to avoid the Cheltenham Festival, with the possibility of a matchup with top-stable Jukebox Man, the six-year-old could instead head to Aintree in the spring. be.
“It’s a quick enough recovery for Scilly Isles, but if he comes out of this in good shape we’ll be very concerned about that,” Poehling continued.
“Radfords haven’t made a fuss about going to Cheltenham with him this year and aren’t looking to avoid it, but they think the Isles of Scilly and maybe Aintree could be a step forward and I agree I can’t say no.
“If we can get to the Isles of Scilly in good form then he will be busy enough to make his fourth start of the season and from then on to Aintree it will be a great way to round off a great season for him.”
He continued: “We’ve had some great horses come through and we’ve been lucky that the owners bought them for us, so we have to really thank them.”
“Obviously, I don’t really want to go to Cheltenham and play against the Jukebox Man, but if Radfords want to go they will, but it’s a great position to be in and be able to separate them.”
