Change of target Pauling’s star may have to go for JLT

THE handicapper may have had the final say in determining Kildisart’s Festival target after he produced another solid display over fences at Saturday’s Festival Trials Day.

The seven-year-old was rated 141 coming into the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Steeplechase and any more than a 4lb rise for his two length win would have made him ineligible for connections’ preferred race in March.

He was raised 6lb in Tuesday’s new assessments meaning that the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase is ruled out, so Pauling could switch to the JLT instead.

After the win on Saturday, Pauling said: “I think if he went up more than 4lb that would be excessive.

“He has come there and travelled into it well towards the end.

“He’s becoming a decent little horse. His jumping can still improve a bit as he can get in close to a couple of them.

“But he doesn’t seem to lose an enormous amount of momentum.”

The battling success was recorded a week after Champion Hurdle hope Global Citizen scored at Haydock and the trainer said the 33/1 shot is going straight to The Festival.

“He’s in brilliant form,” he said. “He won’t be seen again until March.

“I couldn’t be happier with him. I think he’s a lively outsider in the Champion Hurdle. He’s only about 10lb off the best of them.

“The tactics we used the other day worked well, restraining him a bit over the first couple rather than being a rabbit in the headlights.

“At Champion pace we may be able to sit in a pocket.”

Only weeks ago Pauling’s Bourtonon-the-water yard lost their first Cheltenham Festival winner Willoughby Court due to a bone infection.

“It has been a real rollercoaster this season. Myself and my wife Sophie saw 2019 as the year to build,” he said. “We