Handstands has a Grade 1 tilt after adding another Grade 2 win to his resume when he emerged as the clear winner of the DragonBet Towton Novices’ Chase at Ffos Las.

The Ben Pauling-trained gelding won a class race at Sandown in December but was penalized 5lb against Cherie d’Am ) emerge from the flag-lowering together.

The latter eventually bowed out tamely after a handstand and Ben Jones took over, heading into the bottom four, while the draw favorite was a bit slow.

The King of Thunder, after being severely hampered by the range fall, did well to get back into the game and try to stay with him, but the Inversion always looked in control and drew immediately after the final game.

They were the only two to finish and it proved to be a tough race.

“I’m happy, we learned a lot because we’ve never run on this tacky, tough surface before,” Bowling said.

“I’ve heard people’s reactions and some people thought he was a bit of a novice but I think he was just learning how to come out of it, to be honest, and put in so much effort that he ended up with a couple of bloats.

“In the end he did really well and Ben was delighted with the jump he made after the gully, which is another step in the right direction. On paper it’s a competitive enough field, I know there was some misfortune in the bottom three, “but I think they were all at their limit and that’s probably why they fell.

“I was really happy with his performance coming home, he accelerated in the corners to get the race to the end and after the last race he somehow accelerated again.

“Ben said he finished the race as fresh as a daisy and didn’t think he had an overly tough race, which was quite extraordinary considering the ground there today. I’m delighted and it’s on a good road Another step forward,” the progressive young rookie chaser. “

Handstands can now resume racing at Sandown relatively quickly on February 1, with promotion to Group One company in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

With Bowling and the gelding’s owners willing to bypass the Cheltenham Festival, and a potential conflict with the senior stable jukebox man, the six-year-old is likely to head to Aintree in the spring.

“It’s a quick enough turnaround for the Isles of Scilly but if he comes out of it in good shape we’ll be very concerned about that,” Bowling continued.

“The Redfords have never been too fussy about going to Cheltenham with him this year, they’re not trying to avoid it but they think the Isles of Scilly and possibly Aintree could be the way forward, I can’t say I disagree.

“If we can go into the Isles of Scilly in good form he will be very busy, it will be his fourth game of the season and then Aintree could give him a good season.”

He continued: “We’ve received some lovely horses and we’ve been lucky enough to have owners who have bought them for us. So I really want to say a huge thank you to them.

“Of course I don’t really want to go to Cheltenham to play the Jukebox Man, but if the Redfords wanted to go I would. However, it’s a good position to be in to keep them separated.”