Ben Pauling Stable Tour 2024/25 - Key quotes from the talented trainer

She is obviously unbeaten in two bumpers - the listed race at Market Rasen and the Mares’ Aintree bumper. She was pretty unextended to win both and I think she is a very, very smart individual who will, hopefully, go some way to being a top mares’ novices’ hurdler this season. The aim would be to be at the Festival, and whether it would be in the Supreme, Ballymore or the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle we will find out. She is unbelievable in her schooling sessions, and she will run at the end of this month in a mares’ novice and then we will look to run in the Listed Mares’ Novice at Newbury and then may go to the Jane Seymour before the Cheltenham Festival.

He is probably one of my most exciting prospects and he won his two novices’ hurdles as he liked and then the Sidney Banks. Harry Cobden was very taken by him, and you can put a line through Cheltenham as it was one race too much. He will go novice chasing and he is going to start in the Future Stars at Wincanton. He is another who could go to Newbury or something like that, but that’s his route.

He has come back in good order and looks a million dollars. He will probably go for some Veterans races early on. He could line up in Paddy Power’s, he could line up in Old Roan’s but we will take a view at the time and he will go back to Cheltenham for the Plate in the spring.

Henry’s Friend will have a prep race over hurdles at the end of this month and his early season aim will be the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury. He is a lovely horse who is only going to get better with age, and he has done well through the summer. I dare say he is an exciting handicap chaser for the season.

He was obviously a very good novice last season and unlucky not to win a couple of Grade 1s. I think he could very much be a top-drawer novice chaser this season. He is in particular good form, and he has done extremely well this summer. He will start over two and a half miles over fences, and we will see where we go and go back over three miles, but he doesn’t need that early doors. There are nice Grade 2s at the Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury, the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day or I could go for the Kauto Star at Kempton. It will be a case of getting his first run under his belt and go from there really.

He was second in his only start in a bumper to a good horse. He jumps for fun, and he will probably be a good novice hurdler in time.

Probably one of our nicest novice hurdlers but he has had a bit of a setback, and we will see him around Christmas time. He has plenty of ability.

He was second in his only point-to-point and he came to us in February. He finished third in a bumper at Huntingdon, but I don’t think that was his running and he is better than that. He will make into a nice novice hurdler.

He didn’t win a bumper but has very good form in bumpers and will make a very nice novice hurdler.

He won his bumper at Fontwell for us and is a great big rangy individual who should jump a hurdle very well. I hope he will make into a nice novice hurdler.

I did well to get her beaten in three bumpers - two in listed company. She is not very big, but she is an incredible jumper, and she seems in good form.

He won his point-to-point on his third ask and he goes very well. He is a big strong horse, and I think he will be a nice novice hurdler for the season ahead.

She fell at the last in her point-to-point in Ireland and she has done very well over the summer. She is a very likeable mare, and she will start off in Mares’ Novices’ Hurdles.

He won his bumper and was second in his bumper. He will go novice hurdling January onwards - he has had a bit of a setback but should be ready then.

He is a lovely three-year-old from France who has very good French form. If he is ready, he will run in some proper Juvenile hurdles. He is a nice horse with a bright future.

He was second in his only point-to-point in Ireland, and he looks a lovely straightforward horse. He will be a lovely three-mile chaser in time, but it will be interesting to see what he can do over hurdles this season.

He won a bumper at Market Rasen and then was sixth in the Aintree bumper. He has lots of speed and he should be up to winning some nice novices’ hurdles as the season goes on.

He pulled too hard when finishing fourth in his bumper and should be a proper speedy two-mile hurdler.

She is a pretty nice type that has just arrived, but I love the way she looks. She has done plenty of pre-training.

She won a bumper at Hereford before going to Ireland and wasn’t quite right and finished in mid-division. She is a nice horse for the future.

He won very nicely in a bumper at Newbury, and we think the world of him. Hopefully, he will be a proper hurdler this season and he could be one of our better ones.

He is a very nice horse who was an easy winner of a point-to-point in Ireland, and he will start over two and a half miles over hurdles. I think he could be very good.

He obviously ran well to win the EBF Final and was slightly over the top when he ran at Aintree. We will start him off in some decent handicap hurdles and he could progress to being a proper three-mile hurdler, but we will keep him over hurdles this season and see where we get too. He is a nice horse and very talented.

Fiercely Proud will run in the Greatwood Hurdle and he will have a run at Cheltenham in October, there is a 0-140 over two miles. He will go there as his prep race for the Greatwood.

He wasn’t quite right last season, and we found at the end of the year that he had a slightly strained pelvic fracture. He is very well handicapped over hurdles, and he will remain over hurdles but he should be able to nick a race early doors and then go for some decent handicap hurdles, something like the Lanzarote would be a possible target.

He is an injury prone individual who has plenty of ability. He still has more to offer over hurdles, and we will just hope he stays on the straight and narrow and he can be at his best. If he can, he can be competitive in whatever he runs in.

He is a progressive handicap hurdler who still has plenty to give. He probably won’t be one for open handicaps just yet but can probably win some decent handicaps along the way.

He is a hardy little horse that won two last season. I think he can go on again and feature in some better races. At the moment I don’t see him much as a chaser and he is more a hurdler. He will be aimed as some of those better handicap hurdles as the season progresses.

He is a horse that was missing wins on his CV but won twice last year. He should make into a nice novice handicap chaser, and we will see how far he can progress.

He had a nearly season again last term and we are going to go chasing with him. He is a horse who is an unbelievable jumper, and we will start in a novice handicap chase somewhere and go forward from there.

He amazingly is still a novice and the main aim now will be to go for the now revamped National Hunt Chase. He stays very well, and we will start him off in a regular novice chases somewhere and go for some better races as we work our way through the season.

He is another who needs things to fall his way but when they do, he is very talented. He will start off over two miles in a novice handicap chase and, hopefully make up into a nice chaser. He is a proper chasing type.

He will go back to Cheltenham for the race he won last year or the Becher Chase at Aintree. We will take each run as it comes but he has done us a million favours and we will be guided by him in his progression. I don’t think he is well-handicapped, but he has changed in his demeanour. He used to be a lazy horse through his races but nowadays he has come alive, and we have to ride him differently. He is in good order and jumps well and he should pick up another decent prize.

He will go straight novice chasing and we will start him off over two or two miles three or something like that. Hopefully, he can win his novice chase, and we can look for some graded races after. He is a big scopey type who should be better off for a fence, and he did nothing wrong last season.

We have been all of his career to send him over fences. He was a great big leggy thing, and I think he is going the right way. He will start off in either a novice or a novice handicap and then he could well end up being a graded novice chaser in the season ahead. He will be suited by two and a half to three and we are looking forward to him commencing his chasing career.

He is a nice individual who was a bit backward and green last season but managed to win at Fontwell. He should progress to make a nice chaser. He did plenty in France and has improved for his summer break and I expect him now to take some big steps forward.

He is a horse I expected to progress last season, and he didn’t quite. He had a wind op in mid-season and improved for his wind op. He is now off 130 and the aim would be to run him in one or two chases before Christmas and see how he does. I don’t like the race, but he could be a Welsh National type.

Hardy Boy has been consistent this summer and he is teetering on the edge of getting into open handicaps. He has the speed and ability to lie up in those races and, in as much as he is not thrown in, he has the ability to be competitive.

He is a horse that wasn’t quite right last year, and I think the world of him. He is on a handy mark and will go novice handicap chasing and could make into a decent handicap chaser.

He is a nice horse who is very good on his day but not always Mister Consistent. He needs a sounder surface, and we will be looking to get him out in the not-too-distant future and go from there really. He would have to improve a fair whack, but I always thought he would be good around the National fences.

His one aim is going to be the Grand National this season and he has a rating that will get him in so we will run him over hurdles. He will start off in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby and run in a Pertemps Hurdle or two, but the main aim would be the National. If the rule on the National states he must have had a run over fences this season, then we will run him over fences after the weights for the race are out.

He had a setback and won’t be seen out until Christmas time, but he won two of his three and the ability is all there. We just have to get his mind right and maybe a better race over two and a half - maybe something like the Ascot Chase - would suit.

Is a bumper horse I like for this season. He works very well.

He didn’t run in Ireland, but I went and saw him in Ireland, and I liked him a lot. He will start off in a bumper and see where we go but he is a very nice individual.

He won his point-to-point and he shows more speed on the track than he does at home.

He is a very smart bumper horse for the season ahead. He has just turned four and I think the world of him.

He is a three-year-old juvenile bumper horse that I think the world of. He is a very nice individual who does his work very well and for a three-year-old he is very mature.

He is highly thought of by his connections and he is due arrive with me this week and goes very well.

Youdecide is another nice horse from the point-to-point scene who will run in a bumper early season. We will then decide if he goes hurdling or not, but he has lots of ability and has done very well during the summer.