‘We have all the tools for a great season’

B yard.

EN PAULING described his 2019-20 season as “character building”, which has made the current form of his string all the more enjoyable as he looks forward to moving to a new

With 22 winners on the board Pauling has made his best start to a campaign, and he says: “I couldn’t be happier with how they’ve been unning. We have the tools for a great season, but the key is keeping them all healthy.

“We are very excited about moving to Naunton Downs on New Year’s Day as it is a state-of-the-art stable with every possible facility on site. Having endured some hard months it has made us all much more appreciative of when things go right and I’d be hopeful of surpassing our best seasonal tally of 44 winners.”

Followers of the Pauling team will be aware that his runners at Doncaster should always be respected (£66 profit to a £1 level stake), while other courses like Huntingdon (+£41), Hereford (+£34), Taunton (+£31) and Kempton (+£23) are all worth noting, while he has a 27 per cent strike-rate with his runners at Carlisle.

APPLE ROCK 7 b g Royal Anthem – Wayward Cove

He really thrived last season when he got soft ground, winning three times and going up from 101 to 119. I was very happy with his first run back at Cheltenham when finishing middivision. We will stick to 2m4f on heavy ground, but it is possible he will get 3m on better ground.

BETTY’S BELLE 4 b f Schiaparelli – Burgundy Betty

She won her first start, in a Warwick bumper and followed up with a decent effort at Cheltenham, where she just did not have the gears late on. We’ll try to win another bumper under a penalty and then go hurdling later in the season.

DEL LA MAR ROCKET 5 b g Fame And Glory – Pipe Lady

He won his bumper at Exeter by 14 lengths, but finished on a low at Wetherby when pulled up. He has schooled well over hurdles and I would not be surprised if he were to feature highly among the novice hurdlers. But he must have soft ground to bring out the best in him. We’ll start him off over 2m4f, but he should get further in time.

DOCK ROAD 5 ch g Shirocco – Representing

He had two runs last season, winning the second, a 2m1f maiden hurdle at Exeter. He is a lovely horse who showed on his first run back, in a novice handicap chase at Ffos Las, that he needs to sharpen up his jumping a little. He’s had only three starts and is a chaser already. He is learning all the time and I’d be disappointed if he did not evolve into a decent horse.

FINE CASTING 5 b g Shantou – Fine Fortune

We’ve always thought a lot of him and he won his bumper last season at Newbury in good style. He has run twice over hurdles this season, most recently at Uttoxeter where he jumped much better. He will win his novice soon and how far he will progress I do not know. I’d be disappointed if he did not turn out to be a decent handicap hurdler.

GUARDINO 5 br g Authorized – Monicker

He won the second of his two outings last winter in a Kempton bumper. After a long summer break he returned at Wetherby where he finished a good second to Harbour Lake. He needed his seasonal return more than we thought and was second to a pretty useful horse. His three races have been at around 2m, but we will send him over further soon [entered at Bangor on Saturday].

HARPER’S BROOK 5 b g Ask – Un Jour D Ete

He is a fine, big chasing type and the fact he won at Carlisle in his first attempt over hurdles was a bonus. He is not short of speed and the plan is to go to Sandown on Friday for the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle. If things go well there we will look for something bigger over Christmas. I hope he is well above average, as he certainly shapes that way.

LE BREUIL

9 ch g Anzillero – Slew Dancer He owes us nothing after his victory in the National Hunt Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. He just looks a little light at the moment. He is entered in the Becher Chase which I would be keen to look at as he loves it at Aintree. I think we could send him hunter chasing in the new year.

MUCHO MAS 5 b g Fame and Glory – Ceart Go Leor

He had his first run over hurdles at Aintree a few week ago where he jumped okay, but in fairness he could have handled them better than he did. He loves soft ground and I’d suggest he’ll take some stopping next time he runs, as long as we have some rain.

NESTOR PARK 8 b g Walk In The Park – Cila

He is a three-time winner but is still to open his account over fences after eight attempts. He ran okay on his return at Lingfield in October and the main target this season is the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury over Christmas.

NORLEY 6 b g Yeats – No Moore Bills

He was bought as a summer jumper but it was in the autumn that he really started to get the hang of things. Having run a good second at Exeter in October, he then won back-toback handicap hurdles at Stratford and Wincanton. Those two wins have seen him shoot up the ratings from 99 to 114, but he was beaten at Taunton last week where his busy campaign might

have caught up with him. I had him all wrong as I thought he was a three-miler, but he is at his best over two miles.

NORTHERN BOUND 7 b g Fruits Of Love – Noble Choice

He has improved beyond all belief this season with four wins, including a hat-trick in the autumn. He was running another big race at Wetherby when he was badly hampered, and showed he was much better than that when a good third at Doncaster last Friday. Ideally he must have good ground and it will not be long before it goes against him and we pack him off for a winter break. I’d think he is getting towards the top of his handicap now, having gone up from 108 to 122 this year.

NOT AT PRESENT 6 br g Presenting – Anna Magdalena

We have made a superb start to the season and this fellow has more than played his part with three wins from four runs since August. He is very hard for the handicapper to assess as he never does more than he has to, so you are never sure how far he will progress. After his win at Bangor in October he looked out on his feet, but when he walked back into the winner’s enclosure he would not have blown out a candle. I was very pleased with him at Kempton last time when he cruised to the front before idling a little after the last – but that is just him. He will make a lovely chaser in time.

ON SPRINGS 6 b g Mahler – Wild Fuchsia

He is yet to win but I feel he is on the right side of the handicapper. He ran a lovely race on his seasonal debut when second at Carlisle. He needs to learn to concentrate a bit harder and then he can start winning. He will win races, but I wouldn’t like to predict when.

OPTIMISE PRIME 5 b g Shantou – Wilde Ruby

He won back-to-back novice hurdles at Hereford 12 months ago. I thought his comeback run at Cheltenham last month was better than it looked as he went well for a long way and his jumping was good, but he did not have the class to go with them on the better ground down the hill. I was very pleased with how he kept on galloping and I’d imagine 3m on soft ground would be his bag. He could be useful in some of the better handicaps.

QUINTA DO MAR 6 b g Califet – Cara Mara

This fellow has hardly put a foot wrong since joining us. He has won three of his six races, including at Fontwell last time. There has been marked improvement this season and his two wins from as many runs, which were both impressive performances, have seen him shoot up 16lb to a mark of 137. He is still on a fair mark and will be saved for the Lanzarote Hurdle over the new year. I’d expect him to take some beating in that.

RAF TAVEL 5 b g Al Namix – Blue Road

We are running out of time with him as if he fails to shine soon he could go back to France where his form is amazing. Sometimes it can take a horse a while to acclimatise coming from across the Channel. What we see at home is a different horse to what he has done in public.

SEVERANCE

5 b g Nathaniel – Decorative He won first time out for us last season, but I knew he would need his initial outing this term at Cheltenham. He was very keen and a bit buzzy, but he travelled well and looked like going close before getting tired running up the hill. He seems most effective over 2m5f and could get even further in time. He is a horse to stay on the right side of as he has an exciting future.

SHAKEM UP’ARRY

7 b g Flemensfirth – Nun Better Owned by Harry Redknapp, he is a horse I think can really do well this season as he is on a very favourable handicap mark [131]. Last season he won his novice and finished second in a Grade 1, and I think this season he will figure highly in some bigger chases later in the campaign. Unfortunately, he shot Kielan Woods out of the side door at Ffos Las on his seasonal debut, which was particularly frustrating as his jumping had

been immaculate up to that point. He is a horse I love and he’s in great order.

THE COB 7 b g Let The Lion Roar – Millenium Love

He had a good campaign last term winning twice, including the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle. The plan had been to go chasing this year but because of the dry conditions we have decided to give that a miss until next season. He has to have soft underfoot conditions and I think he could be competitive in some decent handicap hurdles this season. He could be a proper Pertemps contender. It is a shame we cannot go chasing as he is bred for the job, but we will have that to look forward to next year.

YOUR DARLING 6 b g Shirocco – Carries Darling

He is possibly the biggest head scratcher in the yard as he is so talented. That said, he has won two of his last three races so he has not been doing too much wrong. He ran a perfectly respectable race last time at Aintree when coming home fifth. I’ve learned he is very good fresh so I am now going to run him rarely, but when he does he will be ready to do a job. He will not be out again until Christmas at the earliest.