Diva Luna and Handstands backing up The Jukebox Man

Ben Pauling is taking his strongest ever team to the Cheltenham Festival next month, as alongside Gold Cup hope The Jukebox Man plenty of others heading there from his nearby Naunton base with live chances.

Mares’ Chase hopeful Diva Luna is looking to put a setback before an intended outing in the Scilly Isles Chase behind her, while Handstands bounced back to something like his best at Windsor.

With the likes of No Questions Asked, Personal Ambition, Pic Roc, Vanderpoel and novice hurdlers such as Taurus Bay and Mondoui’boy all in the mix, Pauling is set for a busy week.

“Diva Luna whacked a joint the week before the Scilly Isles,” said Pauling. “We chucked her in the spa for 10 days and she’s just come alive and goes there with a good chance, though I will need to get some proper work into her.

“She had two and a half weeks off but went for a gallop at Warwick on Friday after which, as you would expect, she took a good blow. She needs a couple more bits of good work and that should put her right for the mares’ chase. She has a good record at Cheltenham.”

No Questions Asked won the Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor, his first run over two miles since switching to fences.

“He’s had a brilliant season, but it was a very odd race at Windsor where they went so fast and he came and got up on the line,” said Pauling.

“It depends on the mood of the owners whether we go for the Arkle, the Johnny Henderson (Grand Annual), for which he’s short, or the Plate. But I’m sweet on him and he’s in very good nick.

“How that form will work out, I don’t know, but the way this horse is ridden you could nick a place in a big one.”

Handstands gave Protektorat a race last time out before fading into third and options remain open for him.

“Handstands has come alive since the Fleur De Lys,” said Pauling.

“We went to the Betfair where he travelled and jumped and at the last down the back I thought Grey Dawning had a fight on his hands, but in the straight he lugged left. Tim Radford (owner) was adamant we should get his wind checked so we lasered his soft palate.

“He worked in Lambourn, after which I was keen to go the the Denman and Tim to the Windsor race. Jumping two out he had Protektorat under pressure.

“He worked well at Warwick on Friday night and has come out of it like a bull in a china shop. If the Ryanair cut up a bit he would be competitive and I might even put a pair of cheekpieces on.

“I think he’s a three-miler and will stay as far as we want him to stay. The positive in the Ryanair option is that he could jump and travel in a small field.

“I’m sure he will be near the top of the weights in the Ultima, but I could be swayed. Let’s see.”

Mambonumberfive had been a revelation over fences until running no sort of race in the Kingmaker at Warwick behind Steel Ally.

“Obviously we were all disappointed with Warwick,” said Pauling. “He’d been so progressive earlier in the season and I blame myself for running him too many times as a young horse.

“But he came out of it well, and a much wiser man than me told me it was simply that jumping was his asset and while before he was making five lengths at his fences, at Warwick he was losing six lengths at every fence.

“He’s in the Arkle, the Jack Richards, the Grand Annual and the Plate and I don’t know where he’s going, but if he doesn’t run it will be the two-and-a-half-mile race at Aintree.”

One horse who should run in the Grand Annual is Vanderpoel, impressive at Ascot and Sandown the last twice.

“Vanderpoel is really on the up and up and is a horse I like,” said Pauling. “He delighted me at Ascot and Sandown and I think deserves to be towards the head of the market in the Grand Annual.”

Pauling mentioned Pic Roc “should be competitive” in the National Hunt Chase, while Personal Ambition, impressive at Newbury last time out, had the option of the Grand Annual. The Jukebox Kid could miss Cheltenham, though, with Pauling setting his sights on the Irish National at Fairyhouse.

Mondoui’boy went into a lot of notebooks when he bolted up at Ascot recently and he has the option of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle or the Albert Bartlett.

Pauling said: “Ludlow was grand and Ascot was good, but it seems he has just come alive. He’s in the Turners and the Albert Bartlett, but I’m not certain he’s an Albert Bartlett horse. If it ended up being soft on the New course it would concern me. He wouldn’t want a slog.”

Taurus Bay went down narrowly in the gloom at Cheltenham on Trials day, but his attendance is not set in stone.

“He’s in the Turners, I took him out of the Supreme, he’s very talented but still a shell of a horse. Even though he’s in the Turners I need to see a little bit more condition on him before we roll the dice,” said Pauling.