“I’ve always thought she was good enough to take on the boys”

Ben Pauling is looking forward to taking on the boys with his potentially top-class mare Diva Luna, who stretched her unbeaten record over fences to two after a commanding success in the eventmasters.co.uk Lady Godiva Mares' Novices' Chase at Warwick on Thursday.

A facile winner on her chasing debut at Bangor, Ben Pauling's mare was sent off at prohibited odds to successfully step up to Listed level, with just two rivals standing in her way.

The six-year-old daughter of Diamond Boy might have made a fairly notable mistake at the fifth fence, but success never really looked in doubt, and she strode clear under hands and heels riding from Ben Jones to beat Blue Las by three and a half lengths.

Paddy Power left Diva Luna unchanged at 16/1 for the Mares' Chase at Cheltenham in March, with Pauling keen to test her credentials in Grade 1 company at Sandown next time out.

"I've always thought she was good enough to take on the boys, and I would really like to see where she sits, so we'll probably look towards the Scilly Isles," said Pauling on Racing TV.

"She's going to be mid 140s horse with the mares' allowance, so that makes it quite a high mark to compete off in a novices' chase.

"I think she could very good, I really do. She's not had to try at all there, she hasn't really come off the bridle so that's an exciting position to be in.

"She's obviously very talented when she's right and this season, she appears to be so."

Ben Pauling completed a double on the card when Old Clayesmorian ran on well to score under Callum Pritchard in the concluding bumper.