‘Main game’ on fixture list awaiting Redknapp ace after Haydock return

The Jukebox Man puts his King George VI Chase aspirations to the test when he makes his eagerly-awaited return in the Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

Off the track with injury since storming to Kauto Star Novices’ Chase glory last Christmas, another festive visit to Kempton for their Boxing Day highlight is seen as the obvious target by trainer Ben Pauling, who has elected for a race with a decorated roll of honour to return his Grade One hero.

Pauling said: “The Jukebox Man is in serious form and I was toying with the Coral Gold Cup, but his main game is the King George.

“I was worried about going to Newbury and giving him a hard race there and then expecting him to be spot on for a King George after not having run since Christmas last year. Some suggested this is a cop out, but I think it’s the polar opposite and we’re setting him up perfectly for Kempton.

“I’ve never had a horse I would rather run in the King George than him and I’ve never had one better.”

The Jukebox Man’s allure comes not just from his on-track achievements but also from his owner, former West Ham and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, and Pauling is optimistic his high-class prospect can serve a reminder of his class despite a 331-day absence to defy.

“I think The Jukebox Man was a standout last year and I think he is a lot of people’s idea of the horse nobody quite knows where the bottom is,” continued Pauling.

“He’s going to be most vulnerable first time out after having an injury and it will be a proper race with some nice horses turning up.

“There will be quite a bit left there to work on and it’s been a relatively smooth preparation not without the odd bumps. Nothing to do with the old injury at all, but he had pus in the foot two weeks ago which took five or six days to clear up just at the wrong time.

“I took him to Lambourn last week and he had a proper blow and that will put him right for his first run.”

The Jukebox Man’s rivals will include Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s Iroko who was second in this race last year and is poised to follow the same path to Aintree having finished fourth in the Grand National in the spring.

Guerriero said: “It seemed to work well staying around two-and-a-half-miles early in the season and trying to conserve as much energy as we can for later in the season.

“Obviously it’s a decent race, but it will be a good starting point. He seems as good as ever and you can’t say he’s improved as you don’t know until they run, but he could have done.

“I think he will have improved for the experience last year and a full season chasing.

“The last couple of years have been a bit stop-start and to me he still looked a bit inexperienced going round in the National but hopefully that experience wasn’t lost on him.

“He’s had a wind op which I’m convinced will help him and we’re looking forward to seeing him on Saturday.”

Paul Nicholls’ Knappers Hill’s layoff of 742 days makes The Jukebox Man’s time on the sidelines look a small holiday and he runs for the first time since landing the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase just over two years ago.

Olly Murphy’s Butch and Dan Skelton’s Mr Hope Street complete the field of five.