Pauling signs up Jacob as his number one rider

Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Ben Pauling has snapped up the services of Daryl Jacob as his number one jockey.

Although Jacob will remain as retained rider to leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, he will partner all of the Pauling-trained horses when available for the remainder of the season.

Speaking to the Racing Post, Pauling confirmed the appointment, saying: “We have had a fantastic few years with the yard growing season after season and I am not somebody who wanted to go down the route of using the best available.

“With Nico de Boinville being kept busy by Nicky Henderson and David Bass now being first choice at Kim Bailey's, I felt the yard needed some continuity and a jockey who would be available for much of the time.

Daryl Jacob debriefs owner Simon Munir (left) and Alan King after a victory at Kempton in AprilCredit: Edward Whitaker

“The matter has been discussed with Simon Munir, Isaac Souede and their racing manager Anthony Bromley and an agreement has been reached – they will come first as far as Daryl is concerned but that means he is free to ride for us for the rest of the time.

“If there is a clash on big days like Saturdays we will cross that bridge when we get to it but for the most part Daryl will be fully available and I am looking forward to building on what the yard has already achieved in just a few seasons.”

Jacob, who ended last season with a career-best total of 88 winners, told the Racing Post he is looking forward to the new link-up.

He said: "Ben is a great up-and-coming trainer and I have been watching his progress over the years – he is a graduate from the Nicky Henderson yard so he knows a good horse when he sees one.

"He already trains for my retaining owners – Simon Munir and Isaac Souede – and we have had some fantastic times over the last year with Grade 1 successes for the likes of L'Ami Serge and Top Notch with, I am confident, more to come.

"I can't wait for the season proper to get rolling as I am looking forward to the new partnership as Ben has some very exciting horses to ride, such as Willoughby Court and Barters Hill, along with some lovely young horses."

Expanding yard

Pauling is wasting no time in cementing his new partnership with Jacob as the pair are due to team up with Calva d’Honore in a 2m handicap hurdle at Worcester on Tuesday evening.

Pauling, based in Bourton-on-the-Water, is in his fifth season as a trainer having formerly been assistant to Henderson and he saddled his first Cheltenham Festival winnerthis year when Willoughby Court landed the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.

Ben Pauling is euphoric following Willoughby Court's Cheltenham Festival triumphCredit: Edward Whitaker

He added: “We will have about 75 horses for the core jumping season later in the autumn and it’s lovely to have a yard of that size in just over four years but I did not want to be struggling to get riders to commit when things did get busier and Daryl seemed the obvious choice.

“He is a very able jockey who has had a really good couple of seasons and when you ride nice horses, you ride better in my opinion and I am sure that the partnership will prove fruitful for both of us.”

JACOB'S CRACKERS
Three horses Daryl Jacob can look forward to riding

Willoughby Court
Signed off last season by winning the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival but very likely to have his attentions switched to chasing this autumn. There is no reason why he cannot scale similar heights in that division as his trainer has described him as “electric over fences”.

Barters Hill
Top-class staying hurdler but saw racecourse duty only once last term due to sustaining injury on chasing debut at Cheltenham in November. However, Pauling is confident the setback was not as serious as first thought and the seven-year-old will be back in action later in the autumn.

Two Swallows
Won three races over hurdles from just five starts after being switched to the Pauling team last season and is as brave as they come. She is not the biggest by any means but has all the attributes to make the grade over fences and should prove a tough nut to crack over fences this term.