Kildisart’s trainer is hoping for the ‘hole in one’ of the 2022 Grand National at Masters weekend

The main canter at Ben Pauling’s new stables in Gloucestershire is set within an 18-hole golf course. He saddles his first runner at the 2022 Grand National

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Grand National 2022: Everything you need to know

On the lush Aintree turf, coach Ben Pauling is hoping to hit a hole-in-one.

He tees off at the Grand National for the first time with Kildisart. Never before has he saddled a runner in the world’s most famous race, held in Liverpool.

With 30 obstacles over four and a half miles, it’s a unique test for the thoroughbred. And Pauling will soon stand out from the crowd with his latest venture.

Kildisart and his stablemates are just days away from moving to stables next to the local golf course. Pauling and his wife Sophie bought Naunton Downs in Gloucestershire, their first major venture in almost a decade in business.

If Kildisart can get close, it will be the scene of a big celebration over the Masters weekend.

“We couldn’t have been happier with his pre-season run at Newbury and he’s been in brilliant form since, which has been great to see,” said Pauling. “He recently went over the national team fences at Lambourn and couldn’t have jumped better.”

Plenty of champagne corks popped in the clubhouse this spring. Pauling coached his first Cheltenham Festival Winner for three years as Global Citizen stormed up the hill in the Grand Annual.

They toasted the success with the Megson family, the Chaser’s owners, co-workers, friends and family. The impressive presentation came at just the right time after waiting two years for the new shipyard to take shape during the year Coronavirus Pandemic.

Finally, they will see the 94 boxes, two canters, practice rings and training facilities come into play. Unlike some of the team’s younger horse members, Kildisart, a confident jumper, needs little practice.

An impressive conventional jump winner at the 2019 Grand National Meeting, he has completed every one of his 20 races. The ten-year-old was also close to giving his stable another triumph at the Cheltenham Festival at Ultima 2020 – and his mark is now 2 pounds down.

“We always thought he could become a national horse one day,” added Pauling. “He would have walked in two years ago when it was canceled (due to the pandemic) so we’ve always wanted to go back there.

“We were thrilled with his last run at Newbury. He always rides to get fit and was lacking some pace over two and a half miles before doing very well down the stretch to finish fourth.”

Pauling dreams of Kildisart following the lead of Mr Frisk, the horse he fondly remembers winning the 1990 National in record time.

“I was seven years old at the time,” he added. “It was great to watch him. The National is still the most famous horse race in the world and if our horse could win like he did it would be something truly incredible.”

Kildisarts jockey James Bowen was delighted to see his brother Sean win a race over the national fences on Mac Tottie yesterday, was not even born when Mr Frisk was led home by rider-turned-journalist Marcus Armytage. The 21-year-old sportsman will be the hero of the clubhouse where Mayfair-affiliated club Fitzdares have their first permanent home outside of London if he can repeat the trick.

“In my previous attempts I’ve landed on Shantou Flyer and finished ninth on Outlander, so I had some good spins,” Bowen said.

“Kildisart is definitely the classiest horse I have ridden in the race. When you have a horse that has previously run in those big handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree and has finished quite close in those races, that’s a huge factor – you need to get into a Grand National.”