Pauling counting down the days with The Jukebox Man

Ben Pauling is confident The Jukebox Man could not be in better shape as he looks to secure a career-defining victory in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.

The Harry Redknapp-owned seven-year-old has had Kempton’s Boxing Day feature at the top of his agenda ever since his brilliant victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on the undercard 12 months ago and while a subsequent injury curtailed his season, a comeback win at Haydock proved his considerable ability remains very much intact.

With his main objective now little over a week away, both Pauling and Redknapp were on hand to speak to the gathered media at press morning organised by The Jockey Club at the trainer’s impressive Naunton Downs yard and hopes are high that The Jukebox Man can prove he has what it takes to compete at the very highest level.

“We’re going there with a horse we’ve got huge faith in and touch wood, we genuinely couldn’t have him in better shape,” said Pauling.

“Obviously there’s a huge concern when the season first starts back after an injury, you’re a little bit tentative and a bit careful about how you get them to the track and I think we were.

“To say we weren’t quite ready for Haydock was the honest truth – he really was short – but he showed the exuberance and what he is, which is a power-packed package of aggression and ability. He showed it superbly well and that’s all I needed to see.

“He’s come out of that race unbelievably well and looks a million dollars. We gave him an easy week afterwards and then got stuck into him again because we knew there’s a lot of improvement to come.

“His work has gone to a level that we’ve never actually seen. He’s not just back to last year’s form, he seems better again. It’s pretty cool.”

It is evidence of the strength in depth of this year’s King George that The Jukebox Man is an 8-1 shot with the sponsors, putting him fourth in the betting behind the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File and Jango Baie, trained by Pauling’s former boss and mentor Nicky Henderson.

“From a personal perspective, the fact that Fact To File is now coming only adds to the drama of the race because it was already going to be, as far as I was concerned, one of the best King Georges we’ve seen for a long time,” said Pauling.

“If Willie brings over both Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior it’s going to be a proper humdinger because I suppose you’ve got the two horses proven at this level in those two, and then you’ve got Jango Baie and our lad that have looked very good as novices and first time out this season but have yet to prove themselves quite at this level.

“If you asked me where in the country I wanted to run ‘Jukebox’ it would be round Kempton over three miles, against the horse that is going to go a proper gallop because that is only going to suit us.

“From the moment he won the Kauto Star last year there was one race we were targeting and that’s the one on Boxing Day.”

Pauling has enjoyed plenty of big-race success, but he was quick to answer when asked where a King George triumph would sit on his list of achievements.

He added: “This would be the biggest career win our team has had. We always love Festival winners and Grade One winners, but to win a King George of this quality would be phenomenal.

“The Jukebox Man is an incredibly kind horse to ride. He has his own rules about life, his box is his world and his stable is his kingdom. If you come anywhere near that and you’re not paying attention you can lose a finger.

“He’s sharp and a strong-minded horse, but he seems to use in the right way – he knows he’s good.”

As a former football manager Redknapp has enjoyed his fair share of highs and lows in sport over the years, so while he feels The Jukebox Man will head to Kempton with claims, he is not getting carried away.

He said: “I’m looking forward to it. Every day you just hope that he’s safe and sound and still all good. It’s nice to have a runner in the King George.

“It’s going to be a hot race, but it looks like he’s in great shape, Ben said he’s been working great and you never know do you? It looks like he’s going there with a chance.

“When you look at the Mullins horses and the Henderson horse, there’s lots of good horses in the race, and we’ll find out how good The Jukebox Man is.

“To win a King George would be a dream, but I know hard it is going to be to do it.

“It’s probably like going into the Champions League, isn’t it? You look at the teams that are in it and think ‘my God’, but you still think you’ve got a chance and dream you can go all the way.”