Ben Pauling is confident Handstands will go on to bigger and better things after maintaining his unbeaten record with a comprehensive victory at Newcastle.

Bought for £135,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point in the autumn, the five-year-old made an immediate impact on his debut under rules when scoring impressively at Hereford last month.

Newcastle’s QuinnBet Best Odds Guaranteed Novices’ Hurdle appeared a gilt-edged opportunity for the son of Getaway to follow up under a penalty and he was priced up accordingly as the 2-7 favourite.

Those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns, with Handstands always travelling strongly in the hands of Ben Jones and a mistake at the final flight did little to stop as his momentum as he galloped on for a seven-length success over Taras Halls.

“That was everything we wanted to see really. I think he’s just a big, brave youngster that just needs some practice,” said Pauling.

“Although he won it very nicely, it was good to see him jump another round of hurdles, running on different ground, going left-handed instead of right-handed and he came up with all the goods.

“He’s got a sensible head on him, he popped the last and when Ben gave him a flick off he went. He’s got plenty of ability and he’s a lovely horse for the future.”

While Pauling is looking forward to raising his sights in the spring, a trip to the Cheltenham Festival may have to wait for another year.

Considering plans, the Gloucestershire handler added: “We’ll see how he comes out of this and whether we look at an EBF Final or a Sidney Banks, I’m not sure.

“I’ll speak to Tim (Radford, owner) and see where we want to go and what we want to do, but he’s looking well above average at this moment in time.

“I don’t know if he’s a Cheltenham horse this year, if I’m honest. If you saw him in a proper race it might be at Aintree, but who knows?

“We’ll probably leave all options open and won’t rule anything out, but to me he’s a chaser and a big, gorgeous, raw individual that probably wants to be looked after.”

Curley Finger bounced back to form for local trainer Rebecca Menzies in the QuinnBet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle.

The seven-year-old had failed to add to his tally since landing a valuable prize at Musselburgh last spring and was pulled up on his chasing debut and first start of this season at Carlisle.

A return to the smaller obstacles did not yield much improvement at Musselburgh on his next start either, but he showed his true colours in the north east, scoring by a length and a quarter under a positive ride from Nathan Moscrop as a well backed 7-2 shot.

“This ground wouldn’t be Curley Finger’s favourite, he won the Northern Lights (at Musselburgh) on a decent surface, so we were a little bit worried,” Menzies told Sky Sports Racing afterwards.

“We’ve had him entered everywhere trying to find some better ground and kind of got sick of waiting, so we just decided to run him while he’s in such good form.

“We tried chasing with him first time this season, he jumps very well at home but I think he needs a sound surface for that. He could well go chasing later on into the spring.”

Blazing Soldier (16-1) denied 6-5 favourite Two Auld Pals in the QuinnBet Acca Bonus Novices’ Hurdle.

The winner was making his first start under rules having hinted at promise in point-to-points.

“He’s a nice horse, we’ve had him six or eight weeks now and he’s shown us plenty and jumped well,” said trainer Mark Walford.

“His point-to-point form is sort of patchy, but if you look back when he finished third it was a very good race.

“He has a nice pedigree and has shown us enough at home to suggest he might run well, I didn’t think he’d win. We’ve just been treating him like a nice, young jumps horse and bringing him along steadily.”

Jamie Snowden is considering the next plan of attack with You Wear It Well after a waterlogged track scuppered an intended outing at Sandown on Saturday.

Winner of the Mares Novices’ Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, the seven-year-old is being prepared for a return to the Cotswolds in March, with the Grade One Mares’ Hurdle her objective.

She made a successful start to the current campaign in a Listed event at Wetherby in November before finishing third as favourite for the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown last month.

Snowden had been planning to lower his star mare’s sights back in Listed company at the Esher track this weekend, but with the meeting called off and the powers that be deciding against rescheduling the race, the Lambourn-based trainer must now go back to the drawing board.

He said: “I spoke to the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) and they were keen to reschedule, but The Jockey Club and the Levy Board didn’t see the need to fund the race, which is frustrating.

“You need the good races for the good horses, everyone is complaining the Irish have got a better programme than we have and it’s just a shame we can’t reschedule good races.

“We’ll have a little think and see where we go from here. I suppose there are three options – we either go to Lingfield for the Winter Million weekend, go to Doncaster for a two-mile Listed race there or wait for Warwick next month.”

Snowden felt You Wear It Well underperformed in the Fighting Fifth, but is confident she is back firing on all cylinders.

He added: “You should have seen her on the schooling ground yesterday – she was full of it. She’s in great order and bursting out of her skin to run again.”

Paul Townend is still savouring a “massive performance” from Galopin Des Champs in last week’s Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero lined up in the Grade One feature with something to prove following successive defeats at the hands of Fastorslow at Punchestown, but bounced back to his very best with a hugely impressive 23-length victory.

Townend admits Fastorslow’s withdrawal on the morning of the race undoubtedly made his task easier, but feels the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs would have proved a tough nut to crack in any case.

“Galopin Des Champs had a lot of questions to answer after his defeats at the Punchestown Festival and in the John Durkan, but he put in a huge performance at Leopardstown,” he said in his Ladbrokes blog.

“I rode him differently, he seemed to be very sweet, and he jumped brilliantly. Fastorslow was a non-runner on the day, and it’s impossible to know what would have happened if he turned up. However, Galopin Des Champs put up an absolutely massive performance and he would have been very hard to beat.

“I can’t wait to get back on him. Willie will probably bring him to the Dublin Racing Festival (Irish Gold Cup) and then onto to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup.

“It is disappointing when big names get beaten but it makes it all the sweeter and more enjoyable when they do come back and perform at the level they are capable of.”

Galopin Des Champs was one of five winners across two days at Leopardstown for the champion jockey, with the other major highlight being the victory of State Man in the Matheson Hurdle.

Many viewed his stablemate Impaire Et Passe as a major threat in the two-mile Grade One, but State Man swatted him aside with relative ease, ensuring the only horse to have beaten him when he has completed since joining the Mullins team is the mighty Constitution Hill in last year’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Townend added: “State Man just turns up and wins. He is a joy to ride.

“He is one of my favourite horses. He had a big task on his hands with Impaire Et Passe, but actually beat him snug enough come the line.

“Without Constitution Hill, he would be a real champion. He is probably not getting the credit he deserves because of that horse.”

Perhaps the most notable reverse for Townend over the festive period came aboard hot favourite Allaho in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

While far from disgraced in being beaten just under two lengths into third place, the rider admits he left the Sunbury circuit a shade disappointed.

He said: “I had a great spin around in the King George on Allaho. I really enjoyed it. It was my first time at Kempton and it was a really good experience.

“Shishkin departing at the second last felt like I was gifted a present, but by the time we landed at the back of the last, it was short lived.

“Hewick flew home and pushed Bravemansgame past me for second to take more money from us. It was a big run from Allaho. Did he stay? It is hard to know. He was outstayed by two really good horses.

“I couldn’t have had a better race, it all worked out perfectly, so I was disappointed to have been given a present and then have it taken away from me.

“It was a brilliant race to be a part of. The atmosphere was massive and they are the days you want to be involved with.”

Ile Atlantique appears the first string of five runners for Willie Mullins as the champion trainer goes in search of a record-extending ninth victory in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle on Sunday.

It is 19 years since the Closutton handler first landed the now Grade One contest with Homer Wells and he has since added to his tally with the likes of Mikael D’haguenet (2009), Gagewell Flyer (2011), Bellshill (2016) and Champ Kiely (2023).

Ile Atlantique, the choice of stable jockey Paul Townend in this year’s renewal, bolted up by 19 lengths on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park – but does have ground to make up on the Gordon Elliott-trained Firefox, who beat him by three-quarters of a length in a Fairyhouse bumper last spring.

Mullins said: “Paul has picked Ile Atlantique, who must have impressed him the most of our five entries, but all five horses appear in good form at the moment and have been working well over the Christmas period waiting for this race.”

Record-breaking amateur Patrick Mullins is aboard Chapeau De Soleil, who he steered to a comprehensive success at Clonmel on his first start over hurdles.

The Mullins quintet is completed by Annie Power’s unbeaten son Mystical Power (Mark Walsh), Lecky Watson (Danny Mullins) and Readin Tommy Wrong (Daryl Jacob).

“They are each owned by five different owners and they have all shown ability to be good enough to tackle what I think will be one of the best Graded novice races run over the Christmas period in Ireland or England,” the trainer added.

“The five horses have all shown that they have speed and stamina, which will be required for a contest of this nature, and how they run in this race is sure to be a great pointer to the season ahead.”

Firefox is the likely favourite for Elliott, who has previously landed this top-level prize with Death Duty (2017), Battleoverdoyen (2019), Envoi Allen (2020) and Ginto (2022).

Since proving too strong for Ile Atlantique, Firefox has registered a third bumper win at Down Royal and claimed another notable scalp on his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse in the Mullins-trained Ballyburn.

The master of Cullentra has a second string to his bow in the form of Croke Park, who arguably sets the standard on hurdling form, having landed the Grade Three Monksfield at Navan last time out.

“There’s eight good horses in it, we’re looking forward to both of our horses and we hope they’ll run well,” said Elliott.

“Firefox was good the last day and I don’t think stepping up in trip will be a problem to him.

“Croke Park is a good horse as well and hasn’t done much wrong.”

The only runner not trained by Mullins or Elliott is Henry de Bromhead’s An Tobar, who steps up in trip after finishing third in the Grade One Royal Bond at Fairyhouse.

De Bromhead’s race planner Robbie Power said: “He ran very well in the Royal Bond on what was only his second ever start over hurdles. With that experience and the step up to two and a half miles, this looked a good race to go for.

“The Fairyhouse race looked a strong Grade One, as the winner, Farren Glory, looked like he was going to win another Grade One at Aintree over Christmas (before falling) and the runner-up, King Of Kingsfield, was very impressive winning at Leopardstown over Christmas, so it is strong form.”

Caoilin Quinn is chasing a second National in the space of a few days when he lines up at Plumpton on Sunday on David Bridgwater’s Dom Of Mary.

Conditional jockey Quinn partnered Gary Moore’s Nassalam to a brilliant victory in the Welsh version at Chepstow and now has his sights set on the BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase.

Quinn knows Dom Of Mary well, having ridden him in his last six races, winning once at Stratford in heavy ground.

He arrives having not been disgraced behind Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl at Cheltenham in November and Bridgwater says everything is now in the hands of the in-form jockey.

“He stayed the trip well enough at Cheltenham last time out I felt – and that was a good race,” said Bridgwater.

“He’s been running well really, he’s coming into this on the back of a good run last time, so I’m just hoping for a bit of luck.

“I’ve got a good jockey on board and I’m hoping he’s the National king! I’ve already told him I’ve set him up for a National double and now it’s up to him.

“Brendan Powell is my jockey really, but Caoilin has won on this horse before and I think he’s ridden him in his last half a dozen races, so he knows him very well and he obviously knows the track. I’m hoping for a good run.

“I haven’t gone through the race in detail but I think you’d have to probably watch out for Venetia’s (Williams, Eceparti) at the bottom.”

Seamus Mullins has been fourth and sixth for the last two years with I See You Well and this season fields top-weight Tommie Beau.

He is coming off wins at Sedgefield and Fontwell over marathon trips, so his stamina is certainly not in doubt.

“He’s very well, he’s had an easy time since his last win, he’s had two strong bits of work this week and he’s fresh and well, I’m really looking forward to it,” Mullins told Sky Sports Racing.

“We’ve got a lot of weight but theoretically we are the best horse in the race.

“There’s a fair bit of strength in depth down the bottom of the weights in Andy Irvine’s horse (Gold Clermont) and Venetia’s, they had a battle at Fakenham recently, it’s a good renewal.

“I’ve tried to win this race a few times with a good old horse called I See You Well. We’ve decided he doesn’t quite stay this trip but we go there with a live chance with Tommie Beau.

“He came home very well last time and I haven’t put him under too much pressure since, I think the main thing with these staying chasers is to have them fresh and well.”

Pat Dobbs produced a masterful ride on San Donato to claim Group Two glory in the Zabeel Mile at Meydan.

Doug Watson’s eight-year-old was travelling sweetly at the back of the field entering the home straight and Dobbs held his nerve by staying inside.

When the gaps appeared, San Donato slipped through them with ease and the 3-1 chance quickened clear to oblige by a length and a half from Marbaan.

“When he’s on song, he’s very good – he carries you into the race very well,” declared Dobbs. “I knew going down he was on fire today, he went down keen, which is good to see him like that.

“He’s obviously one that needs gaps to open for him, but when he is on song, he can take those gaps so quickly, he’s just very professional and a very good horse. I was very impressed.”

San Donato was a Listed winner at Doncaster as a juvenile for Roger Varian but switched to Watson to be campaigned in Dubai and Abu Dhabi after a lengthy absence.

Tuz absolutely romped home by eight and a half lengths at 7-1 in the Group Three Dubawi Stakes over six furlongs for trainer Bhupat Seemar and jockey Tadhg O’Shea.

The seven-year-old started out from stall 13 but soon made his way to the front and then simply ran his rivals ragged.

“When he’s good, he’s very good,” said O’Shea. “He’s got a lot of speed and he’s an exciting sprinter – he’ll give his roommate Switzerland something to think about in the coming weeks.”

Legend Of Time was the highlight of a William Buick treble when overcoming a wide draw in the Jumeirah Guineas Trial over seven furlongs, with Charlie Appleby’s three-year-old keeping on strongly to see off Shamrock Glitter by a length.

“I was very happy with him,” said Buick of the 5-4 scorer. “We did expect him to win, but he wasn’t done any favours when he got drawn in stall 14. The pace wasn’t overly strong, but he jumped pretty well and covered the ground.

“He’s a horse who is going to want further in time, I liked the way he did it, he’s a very progressive horse. That’s only his third start tonight, so he will only improve and I think you’ll see him improve when he steps up to a mile as well.

“I wouldn’t want to set a cap on him just yet, I think there’s improvement left in him, so hopefully he’ll progress and he can go through the ranks.”

Appleby’s Local Dynasty, a Pontefract Listed-class winner who was sixth in the November Handicap last time out, quickened up well late on to land the Zabeel Turf over 10 furlongs at 11-8, prevailing by three and a quarter lengths.

“He was very straightforward,” commented Buick. “The pace wasn’t overly strong and it was just about getting him not to do too much in the early stages.

“He finished off real good; when you go through his form, he’s never really run a bad race, so it’s nice to get his head back in front.

“When he ran in the November Handicap at Newcastle, it probably just stretched him a little bit, so I would say this is his optimum trip, for sure.”

Walbank, last seen running down the field at Royal Ascot, made a successful debut for new trainer George Boughey when staying on strongly to land the 16-runner AZIZI Venice handicap as a 6-4 favourite.

Buick said: “He had a long time off but he’s been here a while and they were very happy with him. He travelled beautifully throughout the race and saw it out really well, so I thought it was a decent performance.”

The Michael Costa-trained Ma Yetal proved his wide-margin debut win at Jebel Ali was no fluke when following up in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial on dirt.

It was an eventful start to the weekend for champion trainer Paul Nicholls but he is targeting more glory at his local track Wincanton on Saturday.

Nicholls’ Ditcheat yard was caught in a flash flood on Thursday evening, forcing staff to evacuate half a dozen horses from their stables.

However, as soon as the water levels rose they dissipated again, allowing Nicholls to resume his well-oiled routine.

So it will be business as usual for Nicholls, whose first runner Paddy De Pole in the Virgin Bet Novices’ Hurdle might be his least favoured of the four

“He won an Irish point-to-point in February at the sixth attempt and ran all right on his debut for us when keeping on to finish a distant third at Chepstow late last month. He will be suited by stepping up in trip here, but this looks quite a competitive race and he probably needs more experience before going handicapping,” said Nicholls.

Old favourite Magic Saint carries top-weight in the Virgin Bet Extra Places Handicap Chase and might just need the run.

“While he runs well fresh and handles soft ground he’s had a load of problems, is not easy to train and always improves for a run,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“He might be suited by starting at two miles. But I can’t be confident even though he has dropped a long way to a mark of 125 from a career-high rating of 159.

In the feature Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Handicap Chase Huelgoat is another top-weight for the yard

“He loves Wincanton, will not mind the ground and Freddie (Gingell) won on him at this track in November so he should have a nice chance,” said Nicholls.

“I think you can put a line through his last run at Sandown where he didn’t stay the three miles. Harry Cobden blamed himself for being too positive on Huelgoat that day.”

Individualiste is another with strong claims in the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Handicap Hurdle.

“He is turning out again quickly after hacking up at Taunton a week ago. It wasn’t the greatest race but he is only 4lb higher now and relishes heavy ground so must have a solid chance of following up with Freddie claiming 5lb.”

Grand National winner Corach Rambler will head straight for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham before aiming to repeat his Aintree heroics in April.

Last seen running an encouraging race to be third in the Betfair Chase, Lucinda Russell feels he would have too much weight to carry in the Ultima at Cheltenham, the race he won prior to success in the National, so therefore the Gold Cup represents a better route.

“Corach Rambler is in flying form and seems very well in himself. He’ll go straight to the Gold Cup and we’ll look to get a racecourse gallop into him before that like we did last year,” she told William Hill.

“Everyone knows how much I love him and it would be very special if he could be competitive in another Grand National. Over Christmas we watched back the race last year and it was amazing how much he loved it and how well he jumped. That is the main target and, while I don’t like to call the Gold Cup a prep, that’s sort of what we’re treating it as.

“He’ll have to carry so much weight in the Ultima and we just feel the Gold Cup will be a better race for him. It would be amazing if he could run well in that which would set him up perfectly for Aintree.”

She may have two runners in the blue riband with Ahoy Senor possibly lining up. He is likely to have another run first, however.

“Ahoy Senor is in great form and has fully recovered from his sore heel after Newbury. We’ve sorted that out and he’s been doing really well at home since,” said Russell.

“The aim looks the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and, if we don’t go there, we’ll look at the Denman Chase at Newbury – a track we know he goes well at. The race at Lingfield (Fleur De Lys Chase) could have been an option, but I’m not keen on running him on very heavy ground.

“Providing one of those races goes well, it will most likely be the Gold Cup next. He has got an entry in the Ryanair and we could look at that, but I’d be leaning towards the Gold Cup at this stage.”

Russell, who feels she possibly ran Giovinco back too quickly in the Kauto Star Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and may go to Sandown or Cheltenham next, also passed on a good word for the mare, Apple Away.

“She’s a bit of a dark horse and I’m quietly confident she might run quite well in the Brown Advisory. She’ll head to Warwick next weekend and I’ve been really happy with her at home since her last run,” she said.

Ben Pauling is confident Handstands will make the long journey to the north east worthwhile when he puts his unbeaten record on the line at Newcastle on Saturday.

A winner on his Irish point-to-point debut in October, the five-year-old subsequently went under the hammer at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale the following month and was knocked down for £135,000.

It did not take him long to make a successful debut under rules for for his new connections and it was impossible to be anything but impressed by the way he readily shook off his rivals at Hereford.

A penalty means he must give 7lb away in the Quinnbet Best Odds Guaranteed Novices’ Hurdle, but Pauling expects him to prove up to the task when he embarks on the near 500-mile round trip from his Gloucestershire yard as the trainer’s sole runner on the card.

He said: “He’s a lovely horse with plenty of ability and he’ll handle the ground. I think he’s quite versatile and I think he’s got a bright future.

“Hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him to get another win under his belt and a bit more experience and we could possibly look at qualifying him for the EBF Final or something like that. He might be better than that, I’m not sure, but I think he’s a nice horse with a bright future ahead of him.

“He’s very much a chaser, but hopefully he’ll be competitive in a few nicer races over hurdles later in the season.”

Handstands will be a hot favourite for the second of four races at Newcastle that will now take place in front of the ITV cameras following the abandonment of racing at Sandown.

The first is the QuinnBet Acca Bonus Novices’ Hurdle, in which Martin Todhunter’s recent Carlisle winner Forged Well meets Lucinda Russell’s Bangor runner-up Two Auld Pals.

Local trainer Rebecca Menzies is no stranger to success at Gosforth Park and she will be hoping previous course winner Attention All can get his season up and running in the Quinnbet Acca Bonus Handicap Chase, having failed to trouble the judge in two previous outings this term.

Mark Walford has a couple of chances in the concluding quinnbet.com Handicap Hurdle, with top-weight Tommy Johnson and stablemate Amber Gold both declared.

Walford said: “We’ve been happy with Tommy Johnson’s first few runs. He was second at Carlisle and then we ran him back too soon when he was pulled up at Hexham.

“He’s been progressing nicely and I was quite happy with his run at Catterick last time (finished fifth). I don’t think Catterick would quite be his track, but Newcastle should suit him well and he’s in good form, so we’re expecting a decent run.

“It’s Amber Gold’s first run of the season and she hasn’t run for a long time. She’s been going well at home, but we’d expect her to probably come on a bit for the run.”