Harry Redknapp lands £142k jackpot after The Jukebox Man wins King George VI Chase
Former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp celebrated a Boxing Day triumph as 7/1 outsider The Jukebox Man won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, with the owner claiming £142,375 in prize money
Harry Redknapp landed a huge £140,000 payday after his horse triumphed in the King George VI Chase on Friday. Despite going off as a 7/1 shot, The Jukebox Man pulled off a stunning victory at Kempton, sending racing fans across the country into raptures.
Nobody was happier than Redknapp though, with the 78-year-old beaming from ear to ear as well-wishers mobbed him in the paddock following his horse’s success. The former football boss, who’s been involved in the racing business since the 1980s, would have known the odds were against him going into the race.
Trailing in second for most of the contest, The Jukebox Man managed to pass frontrunner Il Est Francais three fences out, eventually taking victory by a nose from last year’s winner Banbridge. Following the triumph, Redknapp will pocket at least £142,375 – the winner’s jackpot for the owner.
Speaking afterwards, a delighted Redknapp gushed to ITV Racing: “It’s a dream to have a horse that good. I’ve got a lot of horses, and I love the game so much, so to even have one good enough to run here is just a dream come true.
“It was a great thing and I’m so proud. Having a winner is so special. What a race he’s run. He jumped unbelievable. I thought he was beat and was going to finish forth.”
“The guts he has shown. It’s special and emotional. It’s a special day and everyone was jumping on me…I didn’t know if I’d won. What a race. What an event. Everyone has done an unbelievable job.”
He enthused: “It is right up there. Football was my life and when you are winning a cup final with the fans at a football club. I love the racing and the game, the people in it and to have a winner on the big stage is fantastic.”
Jockey Ben Jones was brimming with confidence as he reflected on the race. He quipped: “I thought I’d won by a head, and then the girls came running over not too sure.
“I said I was going to look silly if I did get beat but it’s brilliant and we can retire now Harry, can’t we?”.
He continued: “It’s got to be right up there I think. It’s probably the most fun I’ve had out on the race course. That’s got to be up there.
“It always seems to be in these colours, which I don’t mind. It’s a brilliant day and someone said, ‘Your name’s on the list as good as all the other jockeys that have gone and won it,’ so that means an awful lot.”
Meanwhile, Ben Pauling, the trainer of the horse, shared his thoughts on the monumental achievement. He declared: “An incredible horse race. To turn in with as many and with the chance there was, it was always going to be a proper race. But that was exceptional. For us that’s huge.”
He concluded: “It means everything because we’re always trying to elevate ourselves to the next level. That’s life, you know. You can always spend too much time trying to be something more than you are.
“But when you’ve got good horses, you want them to perform on the big days. I was absolutely delighted it was a proper ding-dong of a race, and it was going to be a good race because you want to win the good ones, and everyone was there so that just means a lot.”
The triumph sees Redknapp follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson at Kempton, with the Scottish Manchester United icon having tasted success at the King George VI Chase previously.
Ferguson’s Clan des Obeaux claimed glory under Harry Cobden in 2018, before Sam Twiston-Davies steered the Paul Nicholls-trained runner to victory 12 months later.
