Pauling has Haydock in his sights with big guns

Only Harry Redknapp will be more excited than Ben Pauling this week, as the trainer prepares to play both of the owner’s aces at Haydock on Saturday.

The FA Cup-winning manager is not only one of Pauling’s most loyal supporters but also the proud owner of The Jukebox Man, who, after seeing his novice chasing campaign cut short through injury, will attempt to tee-up another festive date at Kempton in his Graduation Chase comeback.

He will be joined on Merseyside by Handstands, the winner of last season’s Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase, who will attempt to lay down a marker this term when taking his chance in the Betfair Chase.

“Handstands will be the first on show in a Grade One, but you’re also probably going to see the other boy on the same day,” said Pauling.

“They are both likely to be at Haydock, especially with that ground. Ben (Jones) can then ride them both and we’ve given The Jukebox Man an entry for Ascot, just in case for some reason we didn’t run Handstands and Ben can switch to Ascot if we thought it was winnable.”

He went on: “We’ve two very good novices from last year and they were two of the standouts from the UK, but we’ve got to find another 10 to 15lb to be mixing it with the big boys in March.

“I hope they will find it and Jukebox remains very well handicapped, but it’s a lovely position to be in and I hope one of them will fill the void for a top three-mile chaser in Britain.

“They are very different and Jukebox is a bang-average workhorse who then gets to the course and comes alive. He’s got electric speed on the course which Handstands probably hasn’t.

“In my eyes, unless you got a heavy ground King George, Handstands would be lost before the fourth fence if there was say an Il Est Francais in the race, whereas The Jukebox Man would just love that and the faster they go, he will just travel and jump.”

It was in late January when in a change from the norm, Pauling initiated his daily audience with Redknapp rather than the other way round, to deliver news of The Jukebox Man’s injury setback.

Pauling explained: “Harry is obsessed with The Jukebox Man. He’s got another very nice horse with us in the yard who it feels he has forgotten is here, as he just stands by Jukebox’s box for about an hour every time he visits.

“Jukebox wouldn’t be the friendliest so he just spends his time trying to bite Harry really, but I think it means a huge amount to him. He’s a competitive man and a huge supporter of the industry and for him to have a horse of this level, it means a lot to him.

“He rings me every day and normally it is just for a chat but there is always a ‘how is he’ in there. I think that is easier than when I ring him though, which he finds absolutely terrifying.

“It’s great for us to have someone like Harry with such a lovely horse, but it is also great for the industry. If we can get that horse firing in Grade Ones it will do everyone a favour.”

The Jukebox Man and Handstands are the flagbearers of Pauling’s state-of-the-art Naunton Downs operation and having seen the quality of his stock rise over the last couple of seasons, he now feels ready to truly make his mark at the top-table.

“We have never in the 13 years I have been training had a proper, open graded horse,” said Pauling.

“Barters Hill went by the wayside in his novice chase year, Bright Forecast got a fibrillating heart, Willoughby Court died with an infection of the hind leg and we’ve not had a lot of luck with our Grade One winners in their early careers.

“It’s great, but I’m also realising it’s not always easy to keep one on the straight and narrow.”