'I have more faith in him than you could ever imagine' - Ben Pauling expects big run from Handstands in Betfair Chase

Ben Pauling believes Saturday's Betfair Chase offers last term's exciting novice Handstands his best chance of winning a Grade 1 this season.

The Tim Radford-owned six-year-old, who won last season's Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, faces the biggest test of his career at Haydock, but Pauling is confident his first runner in the Betfair Chase can prove up to the task.

"I expect him to run very well," said Pauling. "I have more faith in this horse than you could ever imagine. The two times he's gone to festivals [Cheltenham and Aintree] he hasn't performed, but he's been wrong both times. I just think he's got a huge engine and we'll look back at that Scilly Isles like it was a very good race. 

"He's in really good form and I couldn't be happier with him. This is his best chance of a Grade 1 this season and we'll try to take it."

Handstands was beaten on his comeback in the Listed Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle this month by Resplendent Grey, who was subsequently made favourite for the Coral Gold Cup, but Pauling is drawing positives from the outing.

"I was very happy with the result in terms of a fitness run," he said. "He looked properly ring-rusty, but the race did its job and he's come home looking great, and we'll school him again this week.

"I'm hopeful we'll get a bit of a lead. I'm certainly not planning on making it because he didn't look like he had great tactical speed last time. I don't think he's slow at all, but ours have been coming on for a run. It was always going to be a stepping stone and he'll be a lot sharper.

"Everyone knows he's pretty dangerous on proper soft ground and I don't think he's out of his way on good to soft, soft either. He's in really good form and I couldn't be happier with him."

The Jukebox Man: set to join Handstands on Haydock's Betfair Chase cardCredit: Edward Whitaker

Pauling is planning to run another of his stable stars at Haydock on Saturday with The Jukebox Man on course for the 2m5½f graduation chase.

Off the track since winning the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase last December, the Harry Redknapp-owned seven-year-old is being geared towards a return to Kempton for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.

"He's in serious form," Pauling said. "I was toying with the idea of going to the Coral Gold Cup, but his game is the King George and I was worried about giving him a hard race there, having not run since Christmas last year.

“For this graduation chase, you can have won two chases, so it’s tailor-made for him. He was a standout performer last year and I don’t think anyone really knows where the bottom of him is. He’s going to be vulnerable on his first start back after an injury, but I hope it will be a proper race as we want him to be fit for the King George."

On what promises to be a key day for the yard, Pauling said: "In the 13 years I’ve been training, I’ve never had a proper open Graded horse. We haven’t had much luck in the past, so it’s great to have two horses like Handstands and The Jukebox Man."

Betfair Chase (3.00 Haydock, Saturday)
Betfair Sportsbook: 11-8 Grey Dawning, 3 Haiti Couleurs, 4 Royale Pagaille, 5 Handstands, 14 Stellar Story, 20 bar.

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'I don't see any reason why not to run' - Rebecca Curtis going for Grade 1 glory with Haiti Couleurs  

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