Thrilled Pauling looks to Aintree for Dovecote star Global Citizen

Ben Pauling has another good one on his hands after Global Citizen took the step up in class in his stride to run out a dominant winner of the Grade 2 Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle.

Well backed to build on his emphatic Southwell success earlier in the month, the fast-improving six-year-old was aggressively ridden by Daryl Jacob and the plan to get some potentially useful Flat recruits out of their comfort zone from an early stage paid off in spades as he had all his rivals in trouble by the turn for home.

Global Citizen does not hold a Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle entry and is most unlikely to be added to next month's Cheltenham Festival race, with the trainer instead favouring a trip to Liverpool in April.