From King Of The Jungle To King Of Kempton

Harry Redknapp understands all about sporting delights and spills on Boxing Day, however absolutely nothing could have prepared him for the drama of Kempton Park, where The Jukebox Man stepped into the Champions League and left the former Premier League manager holding the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase prize aloft.


It was 12 months ago the apple of Redknapp and trainer Ben Pauling's eye revealed himself as a top-level entertainer with success on this really afternoon, today was his time to prove he belonged among the elite.


Sent at 7-1 after returning from injury in style at Haydock last month, Redknapp compared the obstacle of handling the might of Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson in the Christmas showpiece to his days in the dugout handling some of Europe's best.


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 remained in outstanding kind, brushing off his in an efficiency that was inspired, unrelenting and entirely brilliant in equal measure. After an age-long wait for the judge to deliver the verdict by a nose, the previous 'King of the Jungle' from ITV's I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! was in no doubt where the moment ranked amongst his lots of sporting accomplishments.


He said: "We had got into the Premier League with this horse which was great, however today we went Champions League and we were handling the top teams, the Real Madrid, the Barcelona and we proved we can complete with them and win, it's a fantastic feeling.


"This is right up there with my finest sporting accomplishments. Football has actually been my life and when you win a cup final for the fans it is an incredible feeling at a football club, however I like racing and I like the game and individuals in it - to have a winner like this is simply fantastic.


"To have a horse that good boggles the mind. I like the video game however to come here on King George day and simply run made me so happy - however 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 everybody was jumping on me at the end, however I didn't even understand if I had actually won. Everyone else seemed 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 was in 2008 that the-then Portsmouth supervisor Redknapp hoisted the FA Cup aloft just a short drive around the M25 from Kempton at Wembley.


That Pompey team possibly represented the 78-year-old's managerial profession, but after The Jukebox Man was made 7-1 by a number of companies for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the master of the transfer market appears to have actually worked his magic once again as his ₤ 70,000 purchase sparked more Cheltenham Festival dreams.


"What a race he has run and he's leapt incredible," stated Redknapp. "When they pertained to him I believed he was beat and would end up 4th, however he's returned and the guts the horse has actually revealed is just amazing.


Harry Redknapp (centre) and group 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 just telling me he doesn't care and that they all had us to beat. Ben Jones stated he desires more cut and more range, maybe 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 after that to come here today. He's been lucky for me and it's incredible actually. I don't believe we've had a bad horse together."


Set versus the backdrop of Kempton's much-publicised potential closure, it was a King George which served a tip of why the race's location on the Boxing Day calendar is necessary for the sport.


A titanic four-way battle after the last left many describing it as the very best renewal of the Grade One function they have ever seen and on a day without any Premier League football in the afternoon, saw more than 17,000 yuletide revellers file through the gates.


The Jukebox Man was the star of an excellent day of racing at Kempton (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club/PA)


Simon Durrant, general manager at Kempton Park, stated: "Today was a fantastic example of whatever that is great about dive racing in Britain.


"I'm delighted for Harry Redknapp and all those gotten in touch with Ben Pauling's team and The Jukebox Man and I'm also thrilled for the team here at Kempton Park.


"To have more than 17,000 people through the gates, consisting of sold-out hospitality and Premier and Paddock enclosures, is a fantastic reward for all their effort and long days in the accumulation to Christmas and on the day today.


"While there has actually been a great deal of speculation about the future of this racecourse, our message to racegoers has constantly 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)."