From King Of The Jungle To King Of Kempton
Harry Redknapp knows all about sporting thrills and spills on Boxing Day, but nothing might have prepared him for the drama of Kempton Park, where The Jukebox Man into the Champions League and left the previous Premier League supervisor holding the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase trophy aloft.
It was 12 months ago the apple of Redknapp and trainer Ben Pauling's eye revealed himself as a high-level entertainer with victory on this really afternoon, now was his time to show he belonged among the elite.
Sent off at 7-1 after returning from injury in style at Haydock last month, Redknapp compared the obstacle of taking on the might of Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson in the Christmas masterpiece to his days in the dugout taking on a few of Europe's finest.
Harry Redknapp is mobbed after winning the King George VI with The Jukebox Man pic.twitter.com/oELRQtlpEa
- Adam Morgan (@Adam_Morgs) December 26, 2025
Redknapp' star signing was in stellar kind, shrugging off his challengers in a performance that was influenced, ruthless and utterly fantastic in equivalent step. After an age-long wait for the judge to deliver the verdict by a nose, the former 'King of the Jungle' from ITV's I'm a Star ... Get Me Out of Here! remained in no doubt where the minute ranked among his lots of sporting accomplishments.
He stated: "We had entered into the Premier League with this horse which was wonderful, however today we went Champions League and we were handling the leading groups, the Real Madrid, the Barcelona and we proved we can take on them and win, it's an amazing sensation.
"This is right up there with my best sporting accomplishments. Football has actually been my life and when you win a cup final for the fans it is an unbelievable feeling at a football club, but I like racing and I love the game and individuals in it - to have a winner like this is just wonderful.
"To have a horse that excellent is unbelievable. I enjoy the video game but to come here on King George day and just run made me so proud - but to have the winner is special.
Harry Redknapp with the King George VI Chase prize (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club/PA)
"I'm so lucky and everyone was getting on me at the end, however I didn't even understand if I had actually won. Everyone else appeared so confident, but I wasn't sure. It was a dream when they called the winner. I got a big kiss from Sandra at the end too and she thinks I just have that horse."
It remained in 2008 that the-then Portsmouth supervisor Redknapp raised the FA Cup aloft just a short drive around the M25 from Kempton at Wembley.
That Pompey squad perhaps typified the 78-year-old's managerial career, but after The Jukebox Man was made 7-1 by a number of firms for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the master of the transfer market appears to have actually worked his magic as soon as again as his ₤ 70,000 purchase fired up more Cheltenham Festival dreams.
"What a race he has actually run and he's jumped astounding," stated Redknapp. "When they pertained to him I believed he was beat and would complete fourth, but he's returned and the guts the horse has revealed is simply incredible.
Harry Redknapp (centre) and team The Jukebox Man celebrate at Kempton (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club/PA)
"Ben has been so bullish about this horse and I'm asking him about the opposition, however he's simply informing me he does not care which they all had us to beat. Ben Jones said he desires more cut and more range, perhaps we get that in March?"
He went on: "I have actually had my best days with Ben. He trained Shakem Up'arry to win for me at the Cheltenham Festival which was a dream and then to come here today. He's been fortunate for me and it's remarkable truly. I do not think we've had a bad horse together."
Set versus the background of Kempton's much-publicised potential closure, it was a King George which served a reminder of why the race's put on the Boxing Day calendar is crucial for the sport.
A titanic four-way battle after the last left numerous explaining it as the very best renewal of the Grade One function they have actually ever seen and on a day with no Premier League football in the afternoon, saw more than 17,000 yuletide revellers submit through the turnstiles.
The Jukebox Man was the star of a terrific day of racing at Kempton (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club/PA)
Simon Durrant, general manager at Kempton Park, said: "Today was a wonderful example of whatever that is excellent about dive racing in Britain.
"I'm thrilled for Harry Redknapp and all those gotten in touch with Ben Pauling's team and The Jukebox Man and I'm likewise thrilled for the team here at Kempton Park.
"To have more than 17,000 individuals through evictions, including sold-out hospitality and Premier and Paddock enclosures, is a wonderful benefit for all their effort and long days in the build-up to Christmas and on the day today.
"While there has been a lot of speculation about the future of this racecourse, our message to racegoers has actually always been that our focus continues to be on hosting racing here, both for next year and into the future, and tickets for next year's Ladbrokes Christmas Festival at Kempton Park go on sale on Monday (December 29th December)."