King Of The Road (Shirocco) gets his win at Market Rasen under a great ride from Kielan Woods. 

From the family Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman, King Of The Road looks to have plenty more to give for his syndicate, Rocco's Rebels.

Enjoy the Easter celebrations!

Liam Headd for the Racing Post 
30TH MARCH 2024

Ben Pauling reports Cheltenham Festival winner Shakem Up'Arry in "incredible form" but says he is more likely to go for the Topham Chase than the Grand National at Aintree.


The ten-year-old provided owner Harry Redknapp and jockey Ben Jones with their first festival winners in the Plate Handicap Chase this month, while Pauling landed his fourth success at the iconic meeting.


The Gloucestershire-based trainer is focused on Shakem Up'Arry's next assignment, which is expected to be in the Topham on April 12 as he is too far down in the weights for the £1 million Aintree showpiece a day later, with the race reduced from 40 to 34 runners this year.


Pauling said: "He’ll go in one of them at Aintree because he’s made for those races over the fences. He’s 44th in the weights for the National and last year he would have been sitting pretty, but it seems unlikely he’ll go there."
Shakem Up'Arry is a best-priced 14-1 for the Topham and as big as 66-1 for the National.


He will head to Aintree on a hat-trick after his Cheltenham wins on New Year's Day and at the festival.
​

Pauling said: "He’s brilliant and he’s in absolutely incredible form. I never want to jump ship whenever I like a horse and I’ve always thought he could be a proper one.


"He’s now rated 149, and in my eyes that’s a very nice horse – he’s what I expected him to be. He’s got a great attitude and he jumps for fun."

Samuel Spade certainly kept us on our toes and his cards close before unleashing a rather impressive turn of foot to storm home in the last at Huntingdon.

A great ride from Beau Morgan!

Congratulations to owner Mrs Emma Palmer and to Olivia who rides Sam everyday. 

Slipway thrived under a lovely ride from Ben Jones at Kempton. Winner of the Highland National in 2022, Slipway looked to have re-found his mojo and we are delighted! 

Congratulations to his owners and to Evan David who looks after him.

Harry Redknapp enjoyed a first Cheltenham Festival winner as Shakem Up’Arry found the scoresheet on a football-orientated day three of the Cheltenham Festival.

Sky Sports Article.

Having watched Sir Alex Ferguson notch a double earlier on the card, it was soon the turn of former West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp to return to the Prestbury Park winner's enclosure with his course specialist - who supplemented his New Year's Day triumph in great style.


Sent off at 8/1 for the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase, the Ben Pauling-trained 10-year-old travelled supremely in the hands of Ben Jones and having jumped the last already looking like the winner, he stuck his head down and galloped all the way to the line.

Redknapp said: "Get in there. How good was that? He jumped for fun, what a performance. I'm so happy, it's unbelievable!
​

"My nan got me into racing, she was a bookie's runner when she was young and every week she'd get locked up in the police station in the east end of London because betting was illegal in those days. She got me into it and I love every minute, I love the people, I love the racing. To have a winner at the Festival... I can't tell you.

"Me and Alex (Ferguson) both love it, it's great to see him have two winners today and I've had mine now, it's been a great day.

"To have a winner at Cheltenham, I've watched it all my life and always dreamed of having a winner here, I can't tell you how great it feels."

Pauling said of his winner: "He deserved his big day. It's so important to have winners here and the last two days have been really tough. There's a lot of talk about the Irish and English and to say we don't have the hunger for this game is daft.

"We've got as much hunger as anyone, Dan Skelton has proved that. I was delighted for him, but it doesn't mean that we didn't want one.

"I turned up with three horses yesterday that I thought would be in the first three and I think we beat three horses home. You have doubts and think you've done too much with them or whatever. This is where it matters and once you get one get their head in front, you can breathe.

"We've come here with a good team and the old stalwart has chucked his head in front."

He added: "I know this meant a lot to Harry who has been a supporter of mine for a long time. We speak quite a lot and he's an easy man to talk to. We've had good and bad times.
​
"It was a long run-in and I was shouting 'pull him left Benny'. I'm just delighted for Harry who is a competitive man."

Beau Morgan, rider of runner-up Twig, said: “This morning we were debating even running this horse. He wants better ground, and I rang my mum and my brother, and spoke to Ben, and we said, he might need the run, he won’t like the ground, we can prep him for Aintree - and he’s run like that. Second four times round here now on him, but for my first ever race at teh Festival, to come second, I’m absolutely delighted.”
​

Ben Pauling, trainer of runner-up Twig, said: “I’m delighted I didn’t think he’d go a yard on the ground. Beau just gave him a lovely ride, had him in the right position the whole way. It’s his first ride at the Festival,  and if I am completely honest, if it hadn’t been I’d have pulled the horse out this morning. This place - you just never know, so you  have to roll the dice and see how you go. He will be a lot better on better ground, so that was a hell of a prep run.”

Racing Post, Maddy Playle


Ben Pauling is firmly on track for his best-ever season and underlined the strength of his young stock when Champagne Twist and Pic Roc fought out the finish to the EBF Final. 


The trainer landed the Grade 2 Premier Novices' Hurdle with Personal Ambition last weekend and it was soon clear he was set to dominate this competitive handicap too, as his two runners traded blows at the head of affairs with Diplomatic Ash.
​

The stablemates' duel lasted for the length of the soggy home straight, but it was Champagne Twist and Ben Jones who eventually ground out a brave success over Pic Roc and Kielan Woods by a length and a half.
"It was a brilliant result," Pauling said. "I couldn't really split them. Kielan wanted to ride one and Ben wanted to ride the other, so it worked quite well. These owners are a group of my great mates. 
"Pic Roc ran a mighty race in second. He probably got a bit lonely out in front after doing plenty and got nabbed on the line, but they've both run really well."
Ben Jones and Ben Pauling in the parade ring before Champagne Twist's win in the EBF FinalCredit: Edward WhitakerJones has been a key part of Pauling's excellent season with regular number-one rider Woods serving a lengthy suspension, and the jockey believes there will be even more to come from Champagne Twist in fairer conditions. 
"Coming down to the last there wasn't much between them," he said. "Pic Roc will end up being a lovely horse but Champagne was a bit more streetwise and that's the reason I picked him today. On nicer ground, I think you'll see a better horse. It's been my best season and I've had a few big winners on the board."
Pauling will be represented in each of the premier novice races at the Cheltenham Festival next week, with Harry Cobden confirmed to continue his association with Gallagher Novices' Hurdle contender Handstands.

THE LOCAL ANSWER
All Areas > Sport > Horse Racing
Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Wednesday, 6th March 2024, 11:10


Jockey Beau Morgan will realise a life-long dream when he competes at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time next week.

The just-turned 19-year-old is booked to ride Twig in the Ultima Handicap Chase on Tuesday (2.50pm) and what makes the occasion all the more special is that the nine-year-old is owned by his mum Georgia.

“It’s really exciting, it would be great if he could have a good run and pick up a bit of prize money,” said Morgan, a conditional jockey with Naunton-based trainer Ben Pauling.

Morgan, whose brother Luca was crowned champion conditional jockey last season, has had a good campaign – he’s ridden 13 winners – and he certainly believes Twig, who is trained by Pauling, can put in a big performance on the biggest stage of all. 

“We don’t want too much rain, we need the rain to slow down a bit, but if it does we might have a sneaky chance,” Morgan said.

“He’s in great form and he always seems to run well at Cheltenham, he’s had three second-placed finishes there.

“He’s such a consistent horse, he’s definitely got a chance of a place. He always seems to deliver something.

“He didn’t run well in his last race but that was because he wasn’t well, we weren’t sure whether to run him or not.

“He’s had a little break and now he’s fit and well. Hopefully he’ll be able to deliver.”

That most recent race was at Newbury in December but in the five races before that he won three and finished second twice, both times at Cheltenham.

And Twig’s record – he’s won seven times under Rules – is all the more impressive when you consider that he was bought for next to nothing three or four years ago.

“We were so lucky to get him for peanuts,” said Morgan, who was 15 at the time.

“He had two races on the Flat and didn’t do very well but my brother Luca said he’d keep him for me and take him point-to-pointing to see if he could jump. It turned out he could jump!”

So much so that he won a series of point-to-points and Morgan continued: “Since then he’s been racking up the winners under Rules, he’s a 140-plus horse.” 

Pauling has been racking up the winners this season, too, and Morgan believes there’s every chance the stable could have a very good Festival.

Pauling is among the top 10 trainers in the country along with fellow Gloucestershire trainers Nigel Twiston-Davies, Jonjo O’Neill and Fergal O’Brien.

All of them will be hoping to be in the winners’ enclosure  next week of course – O’Brien is looking for his first Festival winner – and while it’s always good to see local trainers have success, Morgan will obviously be hoping that Pauling is the pick of the bunch.

Ask him for a particular fancy and he says Bowtogreatness in the Kim Muir on Thursday (5.30pm).

Morgan, meanwhile, is hopeful of picking up a ride in the Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on the Friday (5.30pm), the final race of the four-day Festival.

COULD this be one of the biggest British chances of the week?

Article by Owen Goulding, The Sun

BEN PAULING thinks his Cheltenham Festival NAP has been trained 'to the minute' for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
Pauling has his string in red-hot form and he's hoping it will carry over to jumps racing's pinnacle next week.
And his best chance of the week, Tellherthename, couldn't be in finer fettle ahead of the Festival opener on March 12.
Tellherthename is a general 14-1 shot for the race and the stars could be aligning for Pauling's exciting five-year-old.
He said: "Tellherthename came through his last piece of work with a gold star and I think he might be trained to the minute for the Supreme. 

“I couldn’t be happier with how it’s gone for him in the last month and he remains extremely talented and exciting.”

Kielan Woods [,] will be back on board Tellherthename and Pauling's other big hitters.

In a week where the Festival lost the likes of Constitution Hill and Marine Nationale, all is thankfully well with Pauling's super squad.

That wasn't always the case, however, and there has been a scare for Pauling along the way.

Pauling added: “The Jukebox Man missed a piece of work at Kempton last week because he got cast in his box.
​
“He had to go away for a piece of work this morning as a result but much to my relief, he came through it with flying colours.
“I’m very happy with where he is and I’m hoping we can keep all the horses safe and sound for the next week or so.”

At The Races article - 

Ben Pauling began training on his own in 2013 and must have thought the game was easy, as Barters Hill and then Willoughby Court scaled heights that quickly brought him plenty of attention.


It is not until this season, however, that Pauling – who counts Cheltenham as his local track – feels he is heading to the Festival with a team of horses capable of taking him back to the top table.


Barters Hill was his first Grade One winner in the 2015 Challow Hurdle, while Willoughby Court broke his Festival duck in the 2017 Neptune (now Baring Bingham) Novices’ Hurdle.


Le Breuil (National Hunt Chase) and Global Citizen (Grand Annual) have provided further Festival success, although both came away from the highest level and this year he has legitimate contenders in all three novice hurdles.


Tellherthename heads for the Supreme having got back to winning ways at Huntingdon, which was also where Baring Bingham hope Handstands won recently, while The Jukebox Man has been kept fresh for the Albert Bartlett since a fine third in the Challow Hurdle.


“I’d say this is going to be our strongest team, certainly in quality if not quite numerically,” said Pauling.


“I think we’ll send between eight and 10 this season and without doubt it is our strongest team, they’ve found their own way there without us pushing to place them, if that makes sense. Hopefully, they’ll all go there and do their best – and if their best is good enough, then fine.”


Reflecting on the early days of his career, he admits he appreciates success a lot more now.


“At the time, I realised how lucky I was to get those two so early in my career, but you can’t appreciate it as much as you should do at the time,” said Pauling.


“It was quite ridiculous with Barters, we just turned up for Grade Ones and expected to win.


“When he won his Challow Hurdle, my first Grade One, he had Politologue 18 lengths behind him absolutely legless, and he went on to win a Champion Chase. He motored through races and was just incredible.


“He’s still cruising around now as a lovely riding horse, but unfortunately his frailties behind cut his career short.
“Willoughby then quickly came along to fill the void, but sadly he passed away with blood poisoning.


“It’s been a long time since we’ve had this calibre of horse. We’ve won Festival races with Le Breuil, who you could say was a nice horse but was never a Grade One contender, and then Global Citizen, who won plenty of Grade Twos but couldn’t win a Grade One.


“We’ve had various other stars but never have we had a team like this, three very nice novices going with chances.”
As well as the three novice hurdlers, who should all have bright futures whatever they do at Cheltenham, the 40-year-old has a handful of handicappers with live chances as well.


“The races all pick them themselves really. I suppose the fact the Supreme is the first race of the meeting means Tellherthename is unlikely to get his favoured good ground, but he won on soft at Huntingdon the other day. I just don’t think he handled bottomless ground like it was at Aintree,” he said.


“What I wasn’t prepared to do at Newbury (when a non-runner) was run on bottomless ground so close to the Festival, his owners want Festival winners.


“Once the ground went so soft at Newbury (for the Betfair Hurdle), it was never a question and here we are with a horse who appears to be in very good form, he worked very well at Kempton recently.


“Handstands, I think I’ve persuaded the owners that I’m very keen to go, as they were up in the air.


“He won at Huntingdon recently. He’s a funny horse, as Harry (Cobden) came to school him before Huntingdon and jumped off saying he felt like a 105 handicapper, yet just after the race he said he’d have no idea where the bottom of him is, as he didn’t have to try very hard.


“Hopefully, he’s an improving horse. It’s whether he’s ready for a race like the Baring Bingham.


“The Jukebox Man ran well in the Challow and hasn’t run since because that probably took a lot out of him, I think three miles will be right up his street.”


He went on: “I’m hoping Bowtogreatness might get into the Kim Muir, he ran well last time out and we haven’t been overly hard on him. He is in the amateur race (National Hunt Chase) as well but I do think he’s ahead of his mark.


“Twig will definitely go in the Ultima but he needs good to soft at worse, he’s not great on anything softer than that.


“If the ground is to be on the soft side, then I suspect Shakem Up’Arry will go in the Plate, I think that’s his trip. We did his wind in the summer and while his first run back was a disaster, he needed to trust himself again.


“He was then too keen in the Coral Gold Cup and didn’t get home. It all came together on New Year’s Day, when he looked a different horse – and he finished third in the Plate last year.


“Harper’s Brook will go for the Grand Annual, we might switch the headgear to blinkers from cheekpieces. We’ve hopefully worked out the way of getting the best out of him, it might not work every time but he’s a very talented horse.
​

“I think Henry’s Friend will run now, too. I actually thought he’d need a rest after the Reynoldstown, but he’s come out of it bouncing. There’s more chance than not he’ll run in the National Hunt Chase.”

The Megsons' JIPCOT was electric today back over hurdles at Huntingdon. A big thank you to our Conditional Jockey Beau Morgan who does all of Jipcot's work at home, great to see his patience rewarded with an emphatic win. 

​Congratulations to all connections.

Densworth rocketed back to winning ways under a great ride from Ben Jones at Doncaster. It's lovely to see this boy back on the track after some time off. 

Congratulations to The OAPs! Ben was delighted to collect Densworth's prize on your behalf from none other than Gareth Gates!

What happens when three Welsh take an Irish horse & jockey pairing to Scottish owners' homeland for an English trainer?

They win the Grade 2 Novices' Hurdle at Kelso! 

Personal Ambition overcame early jumping mistakes to demonstrate his class under a great ride from Kielan Woods. 

Congratulations to Lynne and Angus Maclennan & Meg Brown who looks after and rides him.