Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Kempton Park £80,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m, Class 1  |
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1 Mambonumberfive 10/1
2
St Pancras 9/2
3
Mondo Man 5/6F
5 ran NR: Bursinel Distances: 1¼l, ½l, 36l
Time: 4m 20.00s (slow by 39.00s)
@BenJone04644251 and @benpauling1 land the Grade 2 @Ladbrokes Adonis Juvenile Hurdle in the shape of Mambonumberfive, who found the right tune today, all out towards the line 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nu8y11WbiH
— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) February 22, 2025
The script was written, but the lead actor forgot his lines. The race was expected to be a procession for Mondo Man, the highly-touted Gary and Josh Moore runner who had chased home Triumph Hurdle favourite Lulamba on his British debut. But racing, as ever, has a way of flipping expectations on their head, and it was Ben Pauling’s Mambonumberfive who stole the show with a performance full of promise.
Sent off the 5-6 favourite, Mondo Man was kept restrained at the rear of the five-runner field by Caoilin Quinn, keen to avoid the over-exuberance that cost him at Ascot. Meanwhile, Opec and St Pancras dictated terms up front, setting an even tempo that allowed the pack to settle into a rhythm.
Turning for home, the moment seemed to arrive. Mondo Man, travelling powerfully, loomed ominously, poised to justify his lofty reputation. But then came the misstep—a sticky jump at the second-last that cost him crucial momentum. At the same time, Mambonumberfive, still on the bridle under Ben Jones, found his wings, pinging the final two hurdles with precision and quickening away to score by a length and a quarter.
St Pancras battled on gallantly for second, with Mondo Man unable to claw back the deficit, finishing a further half-length away in third. A shock on paper, but the winner’s profile suggested the potential had always been there.
“He was a nice horse in France and always looked a big, raw individual who was going to need time,” reflected Pauling, whose charge had endured a tough introduction to British racing at Cheltenham Trials Day. “That day, he just ran too freely, did everything wrong, and emptied out. In hindsight, I hadn’t done enough with him at home. We knuckled down after that and got some proper work into him. That was a much more professional performance today.”
Pauling remains convinced Mambonumberfive is a horse for the future, ruling out a tilt at the Triumph Hurdle, though the Fred Winter remains an option, now shortened to 14-1 with Coral from 20s. Aintree, however, may be the preferred destination.
“He’s 17 hands and really, he’s a chaser in the making. I’ve always had my eye on the bigger picture, so this is a bonus,” Pauling admitted. “I’m not sure what to make of the form yet, but it’s a great result for the owners, and days like this matter. He’ll run again, and now we’ve lost our maiden tag, we can have some fun. I did take him out of the Triumph, which might look a mistake now, but the Fred Winter is still there. That said, Aintree fits him better. No need to get carried away just yet.”
While Mambonumberfive’s star is on the rise, Mondo Man’s reputation has taken a dent. Whether he can bounce back remains to be seen, but for now, the day belonged to Pauling’s progressive youngster.
Adonis Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
£80,000 guaranteed, 4yo only, 2m, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Mambonumberfive 4 11-0 Ben Pauling Ben Jones 10/1
2 1¼ St Pancras 4 11-5 Toby Lawes Kevin Brogan 9/2
3 ½ Mondo Man 4 11-0 Gary & Josh Moore Caoilin Quinn 5/6F
4 36 Sauvignon 4 11-5 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 11/1
5 12 Opec 4 10-12 James Owen Sam Twiston-Davies 4/1
NR 3 Bursinel 4 11-0 Cian Collins NON RUNNER
