"SHE'S ONE OF OUR BEST - her speed is deadly!"

Article from The Racing Post, by James Stevens & Jonathan Harding

Ben Pauling insists the "deadly speed" of Diva Luna will ensure she is a major contender at the Cheltenham Festival, and vows there is more to come after her gutsy win in the 2m4½f maiden hurdle.


Paddy Power cut her to 14-1 (from 25) for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle in March after she made all to hold off Newton Tornado and register a first victory since her breathtaking performance in Aintree's mares' bumper in April.


Pauling, who believes Diva Luna is one of the best horses he trains, has the option of the Grade 2 Jane Seymour at Sandown on February 13 as her festival warm-up.


The trainer said: "That was better but nowhere near her best. I wanted to settle her in behind and take a lead but she's locked on to the first and that was that.


"I think she's going to be better over two miles, she's deadly with her speed. She'll end up getting three miles in time but at the moment she wants to get on with life, so we'll probably drop her back to two miles and go from there.


"It's just good to get her back in the winner's enclosure. She's very talented and I still think she's one of the best we've got. I need to see more than that to win a Mares' Novices' Hurdle but I think she'll find it."


Diva Luna's success completed a great festive period for the Gloucestershire stable, which celebrated a first Grade 1 winner in seven years when The Jukebox Man landed the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The Brown Advisory-bound novice headlines Pauling's festival team.