'I've never experienced a horse take off and quicken the way he did' - Handstands enhances reputation with Grade 1 win

Handstands and Jango Baie served up a rip-roaring finish to the Grade 1 Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase, with the former seeing off the odds-on favourite by a short-head under Ben Jones. 

Victory provided winning trainer Ben Pauling with a well-timed tonic after fellow Grade 1-winning novice The Jukebox Man was ruled out for the season through injury this week, but connections of Saturday's winner were keen to stick with their original plan and skip the Cheltenham Festival in favour of Aintree in April.

"He's a proper horse," said Pauling. "It was a proper battle but I felt Ben was always going to hold on. It's been a shit week with what happened to The Jukebox Man but we're very fortunate to have two novice chasers of the same calibre."

Despite The Jukebox Man leaving a gap on Pauling's teamsheet for Cheltenham, Handstands is bound for the 3m1f Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree.

Pauling added: "The Radford family are amazing to train for and we've got a plan for Handstands that we're going to stick to. We're going to Aintree and he's going to be better over further; he's a proper stayer who has speed as well." 

Considering the testing conditions, Jones was surprised with the way his partner quickened when challenged by the runner-up.  

"I got close to two out and Jango Baie came upsides me but I gave Handstands an inch of rein and I've never experienced a horse take off and quicken the way he did," said the winning rider. "He's got so much class and we still haven't got to the bottom of him."  

Sparkling day for Murphy and Whateley

Diamonds For Luck, who arrived at Olly Murphy's stable in Warwickshire with a "big reputation", took another step in the right direction when running out a comfortable winner of the 2m novice hurdle. 

Murphy won the same race with the smart Chasing Fire two years ago and anticipates Diamonds For Luck can continue to progress as he gains experience. 

"It's very soft and for a second I thought he was going to get stuck in it turning in," said Murphy. "He came to me with a big reputation. He was cantering both times when falling in his point-to-points and I thought he was a certainty when running in a bumper at Taunton last April but he came back a sick horse."

Murphy nominated the Novices' Championship Hurdle Series Final back at Sandown on the last day of the season or the conditional riders' race at Aintree as possible spring targets for Diamonds For Luck, who is owned by his dad Aiden in partnership with Diana Whateley.

Diamonds For Luck and Harry Cobden win the 2m novices' hurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

The trainer added: "He'll have one more run before the spring and will be a good horse with time. He'll make a nice chaser next year."

Murphy and Whateley teamed up for further success when Gunsight Ridge bounced back from a disappointing run at Kelso in December to win the 1m7½f handicap chase. 

"He fell at Cheltenham in November and that knocked his confidence at Kelso," said Murphy. "We've done plenty of schooling with him and, when he's good, he can put in a performance like that. He's got plenty of ability and likes the heavy ground." 

No stopping Red Dirt Road

Conditions as deep as clerk of the course Andrew Cooper has experienced at Sandown looked more like good ground to Red Dirt Road, who made all to win the the £100,000 Heroes Handicap Hurdle in what appeared effortless fashion. 

Off the track for 568 days before returning to action in December, Red Dirt Road readily followed up his win at Aintree on Boxing Day and joint-trainer Jonjo O'Neill already has a future target circled on the calendar. 

"It's a nice pot to win for good owners who have been very patient," said O'Neill, who trains alongside his youngest son AJ. "He loves really soft ground and Jonjo Jr said it felt like good ground on him.

"They were stacking up turning in but when he stretched from the bend to the second-last, there were only two of them with any serious chance."

Red Dirt Road jumps the last flight to win the 2m7f handicap hurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Next up for Dan Walker's eight-year-old could be a race on Midlands Grand National day and Red Dirt Road will progress to fences next season.

O'Neill said: "There's another nice handicap at Uttoxeter in March that's worth a few bob and it would be a shame to see it go to someone else!   

"Next year he'll jump a fence and if he jumps as well as he does over hurdles, we'll have a nice horse on our hands."  

Read more:

'He'll be a much, much better horse at Cheltenham' - Harry Derham's Boodles hope narrowly gets off the mark 

Fancy winning a morning on the gallops with Nicky Henderson and Constitution Hill?  

Subscribe to Racing Post+ Ultimate now