Pauling continues in sparkling form

Quality jump racing has been in short supply this week and Doncaster succumbed to the inclement weather on Thursday with snow hitting Town Moor shortly before the first race. Bangor on Dee has been abandoned on Friday and Kempton must pass an early morning inspection on the same day. The Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday is set to be run on testing ground following 11.8mm of rain on Thursday with more forecast on Friday. The going at the Berkshire track is currently described as soft, good to soft in places. The selections in the February Update have been declared and fingers crossed they give us a run for our money.

Handstands maintained his unbeaten record with a comfortable win in the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon on Thursday. An Irish point winner for Pat Turley in the Autumn, the Getaway gelding was acquired for £135,000 at the Cheltenham November Sale and has won all three starts over hurdles for Ben Pauling. Following victories at Hereford and Newcastle, he was allocated a mark of 135 and he claimed the notable scalp of Grade 1 winner Jango Baie at the Cambridgeshire track. In receipt of five pounds, Harry Cobden's mount travelled well and stayed on strongly to beat Nicky Henderson's Formby Novices' Hurdle winner by a length and a half. The Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham will be next. His win continued the excellent run of form enjoyed by Pauling who has sent out 51 winners this campaign - a personal best of 80 winners last season - with Nicky Henderson's former assistant training 11 winners from 47 runners in January and 5 from 16 in February already.