Ben Pauling’s Cheltenham Festival hero Willoughby Court ready for Newbury test on Friday
BEN PAULING reckons Willoughby Court is ready for his toughest challenge to date in Friday's Grade 2 Ladbrokes Novices' Chase at Newbury.
Willoughby Court could come up against the talented Yanworth who fell on his last start, but Pauling's six-year-old made a winning debut over fences when he was last seen.
Willoughby Court has also been given an entry in the three-mile John Francome Novices' Chase on Saturday but Pauling still favours the shorter race.
He said: "I haven't had much of a chance to look at the three-mile race as it was reopened, but obviously I know very much what is going on over two and a half.
"I'm very keen to keep him over two and a half, to be honest, and that is very likely where we'll go, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a look over three as well.
"I know he'll stay three miles but it's whether we want to go over three miles straightaway - it was just worth having a look.
"He's still very much on track for the two-and-a-half (race) at this moment in time.
"The ground being decent is a big bonus and there's going to be some good racing, but it certainly won't be a walk in the park if everyone turns up on Friday.
"It will be a fairly serious acid test but I'm confident he is ready for it."