Scilly Isles Novices' Chase Tips: Pauling To Get Some Welcome Respite

Just four line up for the Scilly Isles of 2025 but it will still be a fascinating contest with at least three high class novice chasers colliding at Sandown. Billy Grimshaw respects the whole field but is siding with the second fav...

It was noteworthy that Nicky Henderson, notoriously cautious with his novice chase debutants apart from the very cream of the crop, started off Jango Baie in such a hot race last month at Cheltenham to begin his novice chase campaign. He was of course a very good handicap hurdler last season, probably up to graded class truth be told, but it still looked a baptism of fire to be taking on expensive purchase Caldwell Potter and a decent field. The horse passed the test with flying colours, oozing class and travelling powerfully around Prestbury Park before seeing off all comers and scoring readily by just over six lengths from a horse many fancy for a Cheltenham Festival handicap in Springwell Bay.

This was one of the better novice chase debuts we've seen this campaign (of course, all pale into insignificance compared to his stablemate Sir Gino's astounding display at Kempton) and were this race a pick'em of four, he would be the one carrying my cash. However, as much as I was impressed by this lad's first start over fences, there's no way I'd have him odds-on against both Kalif Du Berlais and partIcularly HANDSTANDS.

At the start of the season Paul Nicholls looked to have a very strong crop indeed of novice chasers, but with Caldwell Potter in particular now looking a rotten purchase at the price it is just Kalif Du Berlais left who could potentially hit the very top as a chaser one suspects. He has done very little wrong so far and particularly the last day I thought his jumping had improved again to score easily in a Cheltenham handicap. He deserves this step up to graded company and could yet run in the Champion Chase as a novice if he excels here, which would be exciting, but against more stout stayers I would rather be with one of the other big two, with my preference at the odds being Ben Pauling's runner.

It has been a gloomy week for Pauling and his team with news stable star The Jukebox Man, who was definitely Britain's big hope in the Brown Advisory and could yet become Pauling's first ever proper Gold Cup horse when he returns, was ruled out for the season. Thankfully he will return next campaign but it is a body blow so close to Cheltenham and will have knocked the stuffing out of everyone connected with the yard. The Jukebox Man is the best novice in the yard, however Handstands is no mug and at 3/1 or bigger he rates the bet for me in this contest.

He has won well the last twice at Ffos Las and here at Sandown, both times on soft ground which is a plus with the ground sure to be soft at best and potentially still heavy. I have no doubts he will stay considering his win at this track was over 3m in comparison to today's distance of 2m4f, as will the favourite, but there is just too big of a gap between the two in the market right now considering Jango Baie is conceding experience over fences to Handstands. 

Hopefully Ben Jones is aggressive with his mount as I'd like to see Handstands really make use of his stamina and bomb out to put the other runners under the pump early, which could see off Kalif Du Berlais especially with his yard still somewhat under a cloud. Seeing off Jango Baie one suspects will prove more tricky but he did manage it, and with ease, over hurdles last season so with Handstands available to back at three times the price of the hotpot this is a bit of a no brainer in terms of which exciting novice will be getting my financial support.