The New Lion proved himself an distinctive novice hurdling prospect with a facile success within the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
Skilled by Dan Skelton, the unbeaten five-year-old was a course winner on his earlier begin, constructing on his earlier win over timber at Chepstow.
Despatched off at 9-4, Harry Skelton was content material to look at on from midfield as outsider Electrical Mason led them, together with the strong-travelling Invoice Joyce who was all the time in his slipstream.
Harry Cobden on Paul Nicholls’ 5-4 favorite Regent’s Stroll was a bit additional again and each the Ditcheat contender and The New Lion edged nearer into competition because the runners moved into the straight.
Nevertheless, it was the Skelton cost that the attention was drawn to as The New Lion moved up menacingly to deal with Electrical Mason and Invoice Joyce on the final and the distinctive teenager barely broke sweat as he cantered house below a immobile pilot.
Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo saved on previous overwhelmed horses for second, with Regent’s Stroll unable to reinforce his coach’s high-quality report within the race coming house in fourth.
The New Lion is ready to stay over an intermediate journey for a Cheltenham Competition bid within the spring, with Paddy Energy making him a 4-1 probability from 12s for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March.
Henry’s Good friend one other winner for Pauling and Jones
Ben Pauling and Ben Jones’ excellent festive interval confirmed no indicators of stopping with Henry’s Good friend working out a decisive winner of the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury.
The coach and jockey mixture tasted Grade One glory with The Jukebox Man at Kempton on Boxing Day and look to have one other good operator on their fingers as Henry’s Good friend struck on Newbury’s Christmas card for the second 12 months working.
Final seen ending fifth right here within the Coral Gold Cup, he was despatched off at 7-2 and breezed into competition because the runners headed into the house straight for the ultimate time.
The seven-year-old was quickly placing strain on long-time chief Courageous Kingdom and as soon as going previous Paul Nicholls’ cost two out, he was merely saved as much as his work to complete six lengths away from Harry Fry’s runner-up Hymac.
Pauling mentioned: “It was an excellent efficiency and I am delighted to see it, as to be sincere I believed we had a proper probability within the Coral Gold Cup and he made a horrible mistake midway down the again which put paid to his possibilities.
“This just shows we were right to believe he is well handicapped and a nice horse for the future, it’s a race that is a nice pot to win and I’m delighted for the troops who own him. It has put us in a great place going forward.
“I feel the Ultima (at Cheltenham) is an apparent goal to me. He has tactical pace and is ready to maintain a place very effectively and that’s most likely the appropriate race to focus on. I think about we’ll take care of him between at times.
“Depending on what mark he gets he could get a Grand National entry. If he has a mark that would see him get in, I think he is the right type. But whether it would be a year too early, I’m not too sure.”
