Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase |
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| Grade 1, Aintree 13:45 £120,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1  |
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Cheltenham Festival winners Caldwell Potter (Paul Nicholls), Myretown (Lucinda Russell) and Jango Baie (Henderson) feature amongst the 17 entries.
A brilliant finish to our feature Grade One! 🏆
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) February 1, 2025
Handstands gets the better of Jango Baie in a thrilling renewal of the @VirginBet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase @benpauling1 pic.twitter.com/vjUL4lmG8a
Ben Pauling looks set to send Handstands for this, with the Naunton trainer leaning towards the longer trip over three miles and a furlong.
The six-year-old had an unfortunate start to his chasing career, coming down on debut at Wincanton, but has more than made amends since, rattling off a hat-trick of wins. The highlight came in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, where he edged out Jango Baie, who has since franked the form by landing the Arkle.
Handstands also holds an entry in Thursday’s EBC Group Manifesto Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles, but Pauling feels the step up in distance is the right move.
"At the moment, I’d be leaning towards the three-miler. With the ground as it is, I think we’d probably be better over three than two and a half," he explained.
"It’s not that I don’t think he’d run very well over the shorter trip—he’s got plenty of tactical speed—but in these conditions, three miles looks the right call. Running him in the Scilly Isles, I know the ground might not have suited Jango Baie, but he’s good enough to win an Arkle, so I don’t think two and a half miles is out of the question for the future. That said, on this ground, I’d be leaning towards three miles."
The only blemish on Handstands’ record over fences came at Wincanton, where he parted company at the third-last. Pauling is in no doubt that conditions played a part that day.
"That’s what we don’t want. It was good to firm at Wincanton, and on a flat, sharp, right-handed track, it all happened a bit too quick for him," he said.
"It was a combination of the ground being too quick over two-miles-three, the fact it was his first run over fences, and they went a million early on—it just looked very uncomfortable for him. When he fell, he wasn’t necessarily beaten, but he was flat out for a good circuit and a half."
Since then, however, it’s been smooth progress, and Pauling is eager to see his charge take on the next challenge.
"He had a proper ding-dong in the Scilly Isles but came out of it very well. His jumping’s been good, and we’re looking forward to seeing him up at Aintree."
Mildmay Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
£120,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 3m 149y, Class 1
17 entries
Going: Good
NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 203152 Boombawn 8 11-7 Dan Skelton
2 112-13 Butch 8 11-7 Olly Murphy
3 1-1321 Caldwell Potter 7 11-7 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden
4 1-1116 Dancing City 8 11-7 W P Mullins
5 81F6PF Fascile Mode 7 11-7 Thomas Mullins
6 6-F111 Handstands 6 11-7 Ben Pauling Ben Jones
7 11-113 Impaire Et Passe 7 11-7 W P Mullins
8 22-121 Jango Baie 6 11-7 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville
9 -21U25 Jordans 6 11-7 Joseph O'Brien
10 -51F11 Myretown 8 11-7 Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge
11 31-31U Quai De Bourbon 6 11-7 W P Mullins
12 112244 Resplendent Grey 7 11-7 Olly Murphy
13 354445 1 Riskintheground 8 11-7 Dan Skelton
14 -41422 Stellar Story 8 11-7 Gordon Elliott
15 F22212 The Changing Man 8 11-7 Joe Tizzard Brendan Powell
16 22-111 Don't Rightly Know 10 11-0 Polly Gundry Charlie Deutsch
17 111533 Shecouldbeanything 8 11-0 Gordon Elliott
