Bets for Kempton, Aintree and Wetherby today |
The Gloucestershire yard of Ben Pauling has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons and today could see it reach a new high when the trainer sends his stable star to Kempton to compete in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (2.30 p.m.).
THE JUKEBOX MAN will face seven talented rivals, including two hot-pots from the yard of Irish maestro Willie Mullins, when he runs in the Grade 1 contest over a distance of three miles.
The Jukebox Man has plenty to find on official ratings with almost all his rivals but Pauling remains quietly confident that this lightly-raced seven-year-old gelding, owned by former football manager Harry Redknapp, is up to the task.
Unusually, Mullins has brought over not one but two of his best staying chasers for this race. If this was Cheltenham in March, I would not be taking on the formidable duo of Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File.
The two stable-mates fought out a thrilling finish last month in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, with the former prevailing by a neck. However, that tough race might just have left its mark on one or both of them.
Furthermore, this course and distance suits the Pauling horse perfectly as he proved on Boxing Day last year when he routed a five-strong field to land the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on good ground. It’s an overused cliché but this is very much “his Gold Cup”, whereas some of his rivals will have bigger days in the spring.
Due to a setback, The Jukebox Man has only run once since Boxing Day 2024, a ready victory over Iroko at Haydock last month. “We’re going to Kempton with a horse we have huge faith in and couldn’t have in any better shape,” the trainer said earlier........