Harry Rednapp has made so many people’s Christmas with his response to his horse The Jukebox Man, winning the Kempton King George VI Cup

I was watching on a TV at Wincanton and those around me erupted into a chorus of “Harry on the wing“. Bournemouth , where he started his coaching career and ended his playing career is nearby to Poole where Harry lives.

He’s had a lot of fun with the horse at Kempton already

Here is Harry at Cheltenham seeing his horse winning earlier this winter

I didn’t back the horse, thinking that Nicky Henderson could win with Jango Baie and it’s part of the fun that Harry, owning a horse like him will be our nation’s favorite when he makes it to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nicky Henderson is a nice man but Ben Pauling as Jukebox Man’s trainer and Ben Jones as his rider, are as much British favorites (see below).

There’s a wonderful quote from 78 year old Harry in my local (the Slough and South Bucks Observor)

“At the moment in jumps racing you’d have Willie Mullins, Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton in the Champions League and Ben is probably in the Europa League looking to get into the Champions League, that’s where he’s going.

“It would be great for Ben if he could get a King George win and it would be great for me. I’m not sitting here thinking we’re going to win, but I do lie in bed sometimes dreaming of him jumping the last and taking it up and going clear.”

In one post race interview yesterday, Harry told the camera “I thought I would be 4th coming over the final fence”, the horse won by a neck and made my day. I didn’t have a penny on him but I think we all won the jackpot.

I will watch this video from end to end for many a winter’s day till spring and Cheltenham come.

We have a horse to put up against the Irish best! Harry may not have managed our football team but he manages our country’s racing hopes for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Betfair’s 2026 Gold Cup odds (in the blue shaded box)