Handstands is in control of the Towton

DragonBet Towton Novices' Chase report and replay

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sat January 11, 2025 · 5h ago

Even-money favourite Handstands ran out an emphatic winner of the DragonBet Towton Novices' Chase at Ffos Las.

The Grade Two contest was re-routed to the Welsh track from the abandoned Wetherby meeting and the winner had a dramatic renewal in control down the home straight.

With the front-running Cherie d'Am dropping out of contention turning in and Saint Davy, beaten at the time, falling three out and bringing down Hillcrest, it was left to Lord Of Thunder to chase the winner home.

Despite being hampered himself by the earlier fall of Range, the 16/1 outsider looked to be travelling well between the final two fences.

However Handstands had plenty in the locker and bounded clear from the back of the last to score by nine lengths.

Betfair and Paddy Power halved the winner in price to 20/1 for the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham. Sky Bet introduced him at the same price into their market.

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"I was very impressed by him. He's never a horse who does a whole lot out in front, he definitely wouldn't want to be on his own all the way up the home straight like he was," winning rider Ben Jones told Sky Sports Racing.

"The race fell apart, only a couple finished, but it was a good performance. It's very, very testing and he's just galloped all the way to the line. Early doors it took him a while to get into a rhythm. We were dropping back from three miles to two-and-a-half today and we went quick for a little bit and that just caught him out.

"He had a bit of a grab at the ditch first time but after that was foot perfect and that will put him spot on now for the Scilly Isles at Sandown."

Trainer Ben Pauling added: "I was delighted and we were learning plenty as we have never run on that tacky, holding, hard-work ground before. I’ve heard the reaction and some people suggested he was a bit novicey, but I think he was just learning to get out of the ground to be honest and making too much effort and ballooning a couple as a result.

“Ultimately he has done it very well and Ben was delighted with how he jumped after he ballooned the ditch and it’s another step in the right direction. It looked a competitive enough field on paper and I know there was some misfortune at the third-last but I think they were all coming to the end of their tether and it was probably why they fell.

“I was really quite taken with how well he was going turning for home, he just quickened off the bend and sort of put the race to bed and after the last he somehow quickened again. Ben said he finished the race as fresh as a daisy and doesn’t think he has had an overly-hard race which is quite extraordinary considering the ground there today. I’m just delighted and it’s another step on the road for a nice, progressive young novice chaser.”

Potential targets at Sandown and Aintree

Handstands could now make a relatively quick return to action at Sandown on February 1 for a step up to Grade One company in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

And with Pauling and the gelding’s owners willing to bypass the Cheltenham Festival and a potential clash with high-ranking stablemate The Jukebox Man, the six-year-old could instead head to Aintree in the spring.

“It’s a quick enough turnaround for the Scilly Isles, but that would very much be on our minds if he comes out of this in good form,” continued Pauling.

“The Radfords have never been overly fussed by going to Cheltenham with him this year, they are not trying to avoid it, but they think the Scilly Isles and possibly Aintree might be the way forward and I can’t say I disagree.

“If we manage to get to the Scilly Isles in good form he will have been busy enough and will be his fourth run of the season and that and on to Aintree could round up a lovely season for him really.”

He went on: “We’ve some lovely horses coming through and are lucky to have the owners to buy us these horses. So I have to say a huge thank you to them really.

“Of course I wouldn’t really want to go and take on The Jukebox Man at Cheltenham, but if the Radfords wanted to go I would. However, it’s a nice position to be in to be able to keep them apart.”

DragonBet Towton Novices' Chase report and replay

Potential targets at Sandown and Aintree

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