Ted's Talk: Ben Pauling shares his verdicts on his top stable talents with Ed Quigley

Ben Pauling has an array of top equine talent at his Naunton Downs base in the heart of the Cotswolds, and Ed Quigley caught up with him to get the lowdown on the plans for his stable stars as we head into the winter.

Ben, in his own words:

Bad

"We thought we only had him at around 80% going into Sunday; I thought he would run well, but not necessarily do what he did, and in the manner he did it. He was a bit behind a few of ours fitness-wise, so I think there could be lots of improvement to come.

"Hopefully the Handicapper doesn't go overboard and I think we are probably going to have a tilt at the Paddy Power Gold Cup. I think we have found the key to him and he could run a massive race."

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Champagne Twist

"This lad has frustrated the hell out of me, as he has so much ability, but he has had problem after problem; and unfortunately, he is just hard to keep in one piece. He burst a blood vessel when trying to qualify for the Pertemps Final, which summed up his season, but he is now back in, looking really well.

"We will go Chasing with him, and I liked what I saw in his schooling the other day. I am sure there is a nice prize to be won with him if he stays sound."

Diva Luna

"She had a good season and ran well at the Cheltenham Festival, but I still don't think we saw anywhere near the best of her. Her work at home is exceptional, like literally a different level, yet on the racecourse, she had the tendency to over-race and be hard on herself, and she still needs to learn to relax.

"I have been watching her school over fences and she has been brilliant, so I can't lie, I am very excited about her this season. We will look at some races against her own sex to begin with, and if she is as good as I think she will be, then we could look at some races against the boys. It could just be that chasing is the making of her."

Fiercely Proud 

"Fiercely Proud did us proud last season, scooping that big pot at Ascot, but then lost his way in the spring. He will go chasing this winter, and it may well be the case that he is a bit better going right-handed, and a race like the Noel Novices back at Ascot just before Christmas could be the right race for him."

Handstands

"He is in top shape and I really think the world of him - I think he could go right to the very top over fences. His Sandown form from last season, when he beat Jango Baie and Kalif Du Berlais, is working out really well. We will start off in the Colin Parker at Carlisle, all being well, and then go for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury or the Betfair Chase.

"The test of stamina at Newbury would suit him, but off 157 it will be a big ask as he will probably be top weight. Haydock is a week earlier and he will probably be taking on proven Grade 1 horses, but it might cut up to four or five runners so that could end up being a good option.

"We will get Carlisle out of the way first and then make a plan. As for the new year, something like the Cotswold Chase would suit him much better than a King George, and hopefully by then we are talking about a live Gold Cup contender."

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Henry's Friend

"We could go back for the Coral Gold Cup as he likes Newbury. He was running a big race in it last year until he made a bad blunder at the wrong time, but did well to stay on into fifth. He put things right in the Mandarin after, but he is going to be hard to get off his mark.

"Despite being beaten out of sight in the Spring, he is still 4lb higher than when he ran in the Coral Cup last season. The Sodexo Gold Cup is another option, and we could even think about the Becher Chase for him, so he has plenty of options. Fingers crossed he can get the rub of the green this winter."

Jig's Forge

"Soft ground is important to him, and he's a lovely type who should make up into a nice Chaser this season. I also think there may have been a little bit of trainer error involved with him last season - I was running him over three miles, and he wasn't quite getting home.

"I think coming back to 2m4f when the mud is flying will see this individual at his best and he could easily take his game to a new level over fences."

Mambonumberfive

"He is starting to fill out his frame, and I am looking forward to him going chasing. I was impressed with him at Kempton last season, as really he was still just a big baby. Like a few of ours, he wasn't right at Aintree, so you can put a line through that run.

"He gets his four-year-old allowance over fences, and it will be fascinating to see how he gets on. I have to say I think he has an awful lot of raw ability and fingers crossed he could be a dark-horse in the Arkle division."

Roysse

"He looked to have the world at his feet after his bumper season, but he was just so hard on himself over Hurdles. He would race like a sprinter for the first mile, and his refusal to settle would cost him dearly. I think ability-wise he is incredibly well-handicapped but he needs to learn to relax as he won't fulfill his potential if he continues to be too keen throughout his races.

"We are going to go chasing with him, and he seems to have a lot more respect for fences, having watched him closely during his schooling sessions - so I think they may just calm him down a bit. If it all clicks with him, he can go somewhere and bolt up."

The Jukebox Man

"Injury unfortunately cut his season short last campaign, but he is back and looking a million dollars and showing me all the signs at home, he is as good as - if not better than - he was. We are upping his workload and starting to get plenty of mileage into him at home.

"He was mustard when winning the Grade 1 Novice Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, and the main aim is to get him back there for a crack at the King George. We will look for a prep run between now and then to get rid of the ring-rust. In the longer term, I perhaps view him as more of a Ryanair Chase horse than a Gold Cup type - he has plenty of boot as opposed to being an out-and-out stayer.

"First things first though, and it is all about getting him 110% for the King George, and we can worry about everything else afterwards."

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Twig

"He has been a cracking horse for the stable over the years, and ran a solid race when 10th in the Grand National. He doesn't have any secrets from the Handicapper, so we are thinking about going down the Cross Country route with him - it is the type of test he might really take to and it could give him a new lease of life."

Your Darling

"This lad is one of the biggest enigmas I have ever trained; he has so much ability but it is all on his terms - he is a total law unto himself.

"He is getting on in years, but looks great at home and has a cracking record when fresh, so we will head straight to the Grand Sefton on 8 November and try and have him absolutely raring to go for that. If he decides he wants to do it, he could win easily."

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