Ffos Las: Handstand always under control for Chase Towton Novices’ triumph for Ben Jones and Ben Pauling combination | Racing news

Level One Tilt now calls for Handstands, after running out a clear winner of the DragonBet Towton Novices’ Chase at Ffos Las to add another Level Two win to his CV.

Carrying a 5lb penalty for his win at the same level at Sandown in December, the Ben Pauling-trained gelding was to the fore after the flag fell alongside Cherie d’Am.

The latter eventually came out tame after Handstands and Ben Jones took over the race to the fourth-last, which saw the even-money favorite a little slow.

Lord Of Thunder got back into it really well and tried to go with him after being seriously hampered by the Range drop, but Handstands always looked in control and pulled it out just after the last one.

They were the only two to finish in what proved to be a grueling affair.

Pauling said: “I was delighted and we learned a lot because we had never run on that unpalatable, hard and difficult terrain before.

“I heard the reaction and some people said he was a beginner but I think he was just learning to come out of the dead to be honest and he was trying too hard and blew a couple as a result.

“In the end he did very well and Ben was delighted with how he jumped after jumping the ditch and that’s another step in the right direction. On paper it looked a competitive enough field and I know there was an accident in third place but I think were all running out of strength and that is probably the reason why they fell.

“I was really delighted with how well he did the home turn, he just accelerated out of the corner and kind of put the race to bed, and after the last he kind of accelerated again.

“Ben said he finished the race as fresh as a daisy and he doesn’t think he had an overly difficult race, which is quite remarkable given today’s surface. I’m just delighted and it’s another step on the road for a nice, up-and-coming young novice hunter .”

Handstands could now be back in action relatively quickly at Sandown on February 1 for a step up to Grade One company in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

And with Pauling and the gelding’s owners willing to bypass the Cheltenham Festival and a potential clash with fellow high-ranking The Jukebox Man, the six-year-old could go to Aintree in the spring instead.

“It’s a quick enough turnaround for the Scilly Isles, but we’d think highly of it if he comes out of this in good shape,” Pauling continued.

“The Radfords have never been overly concerned about going with him to Cheltenham this year, they’re not trying to avoid it, but they think the Isles of Scilly and maybe Aintree could be the way forward and I can’t say I disagree with that.

“If we can get to Scilly Isles in good form he will be busy enough and it will be his fourth run of the season and that and Aintree could round off a really nice season for him.”

He continued: “We have some wonderful horses and we are lucky to have owners who have bought these horses for us. So I really have to say a big thank you to them.

“Of course I wouldn’t really want to go and play The Jukebox Man at Cheltenham, but if the Radfords wanted to go I would. It’s a nice position to keep them apart though.”