Ben Pauling’s wonderful season continued at Ascot on Saturday, the place The Jukebox Child starred in a treble for the coach with victory within the Injured Jockeys Fund Ambassadors Programme Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase.
It was the King George VI triumph of The Jukebox Man that’s the spotlight of Pauling’s season to this point, however his youthful stablemate, who was despatched off the 4-9 favorite, put in an assured show of leaping within the Grade Two contest to come back residence a comfy 5 and a half lengths clear within the fingers of Ben Jones.
The Jukebox Child might now swerve an outing on the Cheltenham Competition, with the Naunton Downs handler eyeing a visit to Eire to tackle the previous enemy in their very own again yard at Fairyhouse over Easter.
Pauling stated: “His jumping is his asset and this horse can be cold early so I was really pleased to see him jump off and attack his fences.
“I used to be a bit involved with it being a three-runner race that it could possibly be a muddling affair, however Ben got down to make it and he retains getting stronger and stronger because the race goes on.
“I don’t think he will go to Cheltenham and maybe a tilt at the Irish National could be on the cards. He’s improving, at the right end of the handicap and I think he would stay every yard of the trip.”
Pauling and Jones had earlier taken the opening Betfair Novices’ Hurdle with thrilling prospect Mondoui’boy, who might now be set for his personal high-ranking assignments having obliged because the 8-11 favorite.
“He had to take a step forward today and he was very quick in and out,” added Pauling. “Ben has just got off and said he’s a lovely horse for the future.
“Cheltenham is three weeks on Tuesday so we’ll solely go there if we expect it is genuinely an choice. Ben did get off and say he would not be going again in journey as he was flat out early doorways so I’d be leaning in direction of the three mile moderately than the 2 and a half. Bother is I can be cussed in that I wish to hold horses to the shorter journey so long as I can, so we’ll see.
“He finished like a fresh horse and doesn’t look tired now, but we’ll see how he comes out of it. Aintree would be perfect timing, Cheltenham is a question mark and he will tell us when we know how he comes out of this. If we went Aintree on a flat track he would definitely go three miles, I think.”
It was course common Fiercely Proud (8-1) who introduced up the hat-trick within the Betfair Change Handicap Hurdle below Kielan Woods, with Pauling delighted not solely to eclipse his achievement on this very day two years in the past, but additionally erase the reminiscence of final weekend the place he suffered some gut-wrenching reversals.
He stated: “It’s great – last Saturday was one of the worst days of my racing career.
“Every thing we ran did not take pleasure in it, it was a catastrophe on bottomless floor. We’re not a yard who operates on determined floor and they’re skilled to be elegant, fast horses, not sloggers, and final Saturday I used to be gutted.
“I purposely didn’t run anything this week because the ground has been desperate and we just had to take the opportunities this weekend for the prize money, so I’m delighted.”
Montregard ridden by Jonathan ‘JJ’ Burke on their technique to successful the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot
Montregard could possibly be Cheltenham-bound following Ascot win
Tom Lacey is toying with a visit to the Cheltenham Competition for Montregard after proving a recreation winner of the precious Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot.
A course-and-distance winner in November, he was then pulled up at Kempton earlier than bumping into The Jukebox Child when returned right here final month.
After Ben Pauling’s cost franked the shape within the Reynoldstown earlier within the afternoon, the associated double copped two races later, because the seven-year-old noticed off the problem of David Pipe’s Gericault Roque after the final for a two-and-three-quarter-length success at odds of 100-30.
The victory now places Montregard in line for a shot on the Kim Muir at Nationwide Hunt’s showpiece assembly.
Lacey stated: “I’m absolutely over the moon, delighted and to win a £100,000 race at Ascot is what you want.
“I felt he deserved a pleasant go at a pleasant pot off a low weight and it has paid off.
“They have made it a tad slower than last time but he did seem to travel really well today.
“If yow will discover me a number of extra like him it will be good and I used to be simply mentioning to AP [Sir Anthony McCoy, representing owner JP McManus] that we’ll should have a chat, however I used to be questioning if he might sneak right into a Kim Muir.
“We’ll enjoy today and then think about the next day soon.”
