Ben Pauling saddled a treble at Ascot on Saturday that underlined just how far his Bourton-on-the-Water operation has come. The Jukebox Kid took the Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase by five and a half lengths, Mondoui’boy landed a novice hurdle, and Fiercely Proud — a 8/1 shot — completed the haul in a handicap hurdle.
It was a statement afternoon from a trainer having comfortably his best season.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Pauling has saddled 68 winners from 363 runners this term — a 18.7% strike rate that puts him firmly in the top tier of National Hunt trainers. More importantly, four of those wins have come in graded company:
- The Jukebox Man — Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1), Kempton, Boxing Day
- Mambonumberfive — Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase (Grade 2), Kempton
- No Questions Asked — Lightning Novices’ Chase (Grade 2), Windsor
- The Jukebox Kid — Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase (Grade 2), Ascot
A King George winner and three Grade 2 scorers in a single season. For context, Pauling has just one Cheltenham Festival winner to his name — Global Citizen in the 2022 Grand Annual. This year, he arrives with genuine ammunition.
The Jukebox Connection
The Jukebox Man’s King George victory was the headline moment of Pauling’s season. Sent off at 7/1, Harry Redknapp’s gelding battled on bravely under a sustained challenge, winning by a nose in a finish that had the Kempton crowd on their feet. He’d shown the form was there with an easy graduation chase win at Newbury three weeks earlier, but the King George was a different league entirely.
Now his stablemate The Jukebox Kid is following a similar trajectory. Saturday’s Reynoldstown win — made all, jumped well, drew clear — was the kind of performance that suggests there’s more to come. He’s won three of his four starts over fences, with only a below-par run at Cheltenham in December blotting the copybook.
That Cheltenham defeat is worth noting. The Jukebox Kid finished fourth on soft ground, never travelling with his usual fluency. Ascot’s better ground on Saturday clearly suited him better.
Festival Prospects
Pauling’s record at the Cheltenham Festival reads: one winner from 30 runners since 2021. The Jukebox Man ran a fine second in the 2024 Albert Bartlett at 18/1, but otherwise it’s been a largely frustrating week for the yard.
This year feels different. The Jukebox Man is a Gold Cup contender off the back of his King George win. The Jukebox Kid could line up in the Turners Novices’ Chase. Mambonumberfive and No Questions Asked add further depth.
Pauling’s Ascot record this season — 13 winners from 47 runners at a 27.7% strike rate — shows a trainer whose horses consistently perform at the big meetings. The question is whether that translates to Prestbury Park in March.
With 22 days until the Festival opens, Pauling has never had a better hand to play. One King George hero, a clutch of graded novices, and the kind of momentum that only a 68-winner season can bring. The small Cotswolds yard might just be about to announce itself on the biggest stage.