Taurus Bay dents some lofty reputations in Rising Stars

Harry Redknapp could have another top prospect on his hands after Taurus Bay made a winning chasing debut in the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

A lot of the pre-race chatter revolved around Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End making his eagerly-awaited fences bow and he was sent off the 8-11 favourite.

However, Ben Pauling’s five-year-old was a more than useful hurdler in his own right last term and always seen as more of a chasing prospect.

With No Drama This End’s tank flashing empty on the run to the last it was left to Ben Jones on board Taurus Bay to outbattle the match-fit Dan Skelton runner Talk To The Man after the last, edging a one-and-a-quarter-length verdict at odds of 13-2.

With Redknapp and Pauling’s King George hero The Jukebox Man currently sidelined with injury, Taurus Bay could very much fill the void in the silks of the former West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur manager as the season progresses, having scooped Grade Two honours at the first attempt over fences.

Pauling said: “He won his two novice hurdles as he liked last season and then ran in the gloom at Cheltenham, when he ran a mighty race.

“That race left its mark, and I didn’t think we were going to get to the Festival but I said to Harry and Geoff, let’s go for some experience. He wasn’t in the form I needed him to be, but I wanted him to get the big occasion and get some experience. He travelled until two out (in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle), he then rooted two out and Ben just stood up on him after that.

“We always knew he had the ability but today was a good race. Ben said he just took a blow like all mine do, so he will improve a lot for it.

“I was amazed with his performance today. So far this season, ours have just needed it when they get into a battle against horses who are more prepared than we are.

“This horse hadn’t had an away day and is not a big, burly horse so you wouldn’t want to do much early doors in the season with him. Today was very much to get him where we wanted him and, hopefully, we can go on from here.

“I was very keen to keep him over two miles, but it was just finding a race that was safe for him to run in. We had no ambitions to come straight for a Grade Two but that’s where we’ve ended up. I do think he’s a very quick horse – he’s not a fast horse at home but shows lots of speed on the track.

“I don’t know whether we will go to two or two and a half miles next. He seems very versatile and we’ll play it by ear.”