Trainer Ben Pauling believes the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday (November 22nd) offers Handstands “his best chance” of success at the highest level this season. The £200,000 contest is staged over an extended three miles and a furlong and is Britain’s first Grade One contest of the Jump season.

Last season, Handstands recorded a pair of Grade Two victories before gaining a Grade One success in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown Park in February, when he defeated subsequent Arkle hero Jango Baie by a short head. After disappointing at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree in April, the Tim Radford-owned six-year-old made a promising reappearance when the three-quarter length runner-up to Resplendent Grey in the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on November 2nd.

Sponsor Betfair currently make Handstands a 5-1 chance for glory on Saturday.

Gloucestershire-based Pauling, speaking at a press conference organised by The Jockey Club at Cheltenham Racecourse on Sunday, said: “I was very happy with the result we ended up with (at Carlisle) in terms of a fitness run. He looked properly ring-rusty and was looking about. He didn’t jump badly but was very ponderous. It was a funny old race, but did its job.

“In hindsight, when he fell in the Rising Stars (at Wincanton) on his reappearance last year, I thought it was because of the ground but he ran a very similar race that day. He then went to Sandown and looked electric.

“He’s come home and is looking great. I dare say next weekend it will hopefully be a similar thing. This is only the second season we’ve had him and are still just getting to know him.

“He was fine at home after Carlisle and properly came alive last week. We’ll school him this week and hopefully we’ll get a bit of a lead at the weekend – we certainly won’t plan on making it. He is not slow at all, but I don’t think he has great tactical speed.

“With our horses coming on for their first run and Sean Bowen putting his horses on hovercrafts after the last, we didn’t have time to react at Carlisle. Ben (Jones, jockey) couldn’t pull him up down the back after the line.

“I just think we came away from it with a very sound, healthy horse and it was always going to be a stepping-stone towards his next race, whatever that was going to be. Was I overwhelmed by it? No. Was I gutted? No. I think Carlisle did its job and he will be a lot sharper for it.”

Assessing Handstands’ chances at the weekend, the trainer continued: “I think everyone knows he’s pretty dangerous on proper soft ground, as I believe he handles those conditions better than others. I don’t think he’s out of his way on good to soft, soft either.

“I am half-delighted that it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a true test because my biggest concern with the Betfair Chase was I didn’t want to leave his season there. If it’s nice ground, we might not be at our best but we will still have a horse for the rest of the season, which to me is everything.

“I expect him to run very well. I have more faith in this horse than you can imagine. I know he’s twice been to festivals and hasn’t performed but he’s been wrong both times. I think he has got a huge engine, and I think we’ll look back on the Scilly Isles he won as a very good Scilly Isles. We were cribbed on the fact that Jango Baie didn’t handle the ground, but he travelled well through the race and didn’t look like a horse that wasn’t enjoying the ground. Jango Baie was then all out to win the Arkle and so is really a two and a half miler.

“I think our lad is in really good form and I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s the first time I’ve had a Betfair Chase runner and hopefully we can get off to a nice start. I am a realist and think this is his best chance of a Grade One success this season, so we’ll try and take it.”

Pauling is also set to be represented at Haydock Park on Saturday by The Jukebox Man, who is scheduled to line up in the £50,000 Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase over two miles and five furlongs.

Owned by former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp, the seven-year-old is unbeaten in two starts over fences but has not been seen out since winning the Grade One Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day last year.

Pauling continued: “The Jukebox Man is in serious form. I was toying with the idea of going for the Coral Gold Cup, but his game is the King George and I didn’t want to go and give him a hard race at Newbury having not run since Christmas last year.

“For this graduation chase, you can have won two chases, so it’s tailor made for him really. He was a standout performer last year and I don’t think anyone really knows where the bottom of him is. He’s going to be vulnerable on his first start back after an injury, but I hope it will be a proper race as we want him to be fit for the King George.

“Harry Redknapp came and saw him yesterday and has another very nice horse with us called Taurus Bay. He forgot about Taurus Bay and stood by Jukebox’s box for an hour! It means a huge amount to Harry – he’s a competitive man, a big supporter of the industry and for him to have a horse of this level means a lot to him.”

“Ben Jones will ride both horses. In the 13 years I’ve been training, I’ve never had a proper open Graded horse. We haven’t had much luck in the past so it’s great to have two horses like Handstands and The Jukebox Man.

“It’s nice to have horses to challenge the battalions from the other side. I’m super proud both horses are with us. They were not mega expensive but were well bought and are going the right way, which makes us all feel brilliant. It’s a huge team effort and all at home are in great spirits as the horses are running well.”

On another likely runner at Haydock Park on Betfair Chase Day, the trainer concluded: “Samuel Spade runs in the Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle. He had a lovely prep run the other day and I’d say will be sweet to go again. He looks well, the track will suit and is low enough in the handicap, so he will be competitive.