Kempton Friday
Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1)
THE King George is always the highlight of the British programme over Christmas and it has served up some great spectacles over the years, but the 2025 edition might just have been the finest ever renewal of the Yuletide feature.
There have been greater performances – Kauto Star’s distance win over Madison Du Berlais in 2009 was almost untouchable in that regard, while the brilliant but erratic Captain Christy managed to make that great Kempton specialist Pendil look one-paced in the first of two stunning wins in the mid-1970s. In terms of spectacle, I don’t think anything can match the sight of four horses rising at the last fence in unison, and three of that quartet lunging at the line together, separated only by noses.
That’s how 7/1 chance The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling/Ben Jones) put his name so memorably on the race’s roll of honour, edging out Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien/Sean Bowen) and favourite Gaelic Warrior (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) in a monumental finish, with Jango Baie just half a length away in fourth.
All four put everything on the line and if the future of Kempton Park is decided by the entertainment offered by the action on the track, these warriors have done more than their bit for the sport.
The Jukebox Man was the perfect winner for those looking for a story, with the horse a brave, bold and brilliant steeplechaser just coming of age and owned by that diminishing commodity in the sport – the “character,” in this case colourful football personality Harry Redknapp. Redknapp’s popularity outside of racing’s upper echelons ensured that the win was front and back-page news. It gives Kempton’s showpiece a shot in the arm at a time when all the news has been negative and downbeat. It was, in short, the perfect result to the perfect race.
“It is great for the yard,” said winning trainer Ben Pauling. “This is a dream. It means everything. We are always trying to elevate ourselves to the next level and that is life. You can always spend more time trying to be something more than you are, but when you have good horses, you want them to perform on the big days.
Ding-dong
“It was a proper ding-dong of a race. You want to win the good ones, and everyone was there and it just means a lot. Harry has been an exceptional owner for me, and we have had an enormous amount of luck. I’ve always had a huge faith in The Jukebox Man and so has Harry.
“This is the best we have achieved to date. We have won Cheltenham Festival races and Grade 1s, but this is good. I watched the Kauto Star and I thought you are not coming from too far back so I said to Ben: ‘don’t hate me, but I want you to be as brave as you can be.’ Ben got the perfect slot as he jumped from fence to fence.
“The only one he got in tight to was the last, but that was just the way it was. To get back up again was just quite incredible as no one was stopping.”
As for what comes next, Pauling was in no doubt: “I think you would be daft not to go to the Gold Cup now, and what a race that will be as well. People crib him for jumping left, but when he goes right-handed, he is as straight as a die. He is just a bit of a character with a big engine and a big heart.
“I think it will take a few days to sink in, especially after the hangover. These are the days we want to be part of. It is our first proper runner in one of these elite chases so to compete would have been great, but to win it is even better.
“From Haydock Park to here he has just been foot-perfect and if I can do the same again between now and Cheltenham - and he won’t be seen again until then - it will then be quite exciting. What a very special day!”
Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1)
SIR Gino (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) put his chase career on hold for a second time to play understudy for Constitution Hill and, once again, he delivered his lines perfectly to add the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle to his 2024 Fighting Fifth victory.
Pitched in against Champion Hurdler Golden Ace and Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Celtic Dino, the son of It’s Gino was sent off a hot favourite at 4/7 and never gave backers a moment’s worry as he raced close up before leading at the third and making the rest, a slightly scruffy jump at the fourth the only semblance of an error, and able to quicken in the straight to beat Golden Ace (Jeremy Scott/Lorcan Williams) and Rubaud (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) by six lengths and three and a half lengths.
What happens with Constitution Hill is a three-pipe problem of its own, but there is no doubt that Sir Gino, who was returning from a serious infection and a year on the sidelines, is a more-than-able substitute for his stablemate, and arguably a much likelier winner at Cheltenham in March given his youth and current wellbeing, but he’s also a leading contender for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and that is the conundrum which faces Nicky Henderson now.
The Master of Seven Barrows weighed in with the road to recovery before considering the road to Cheltenham as he spoke on ITV, saying: “It has been a tough old year and there were bits in the middle that were pretty worrying, but everybody has done just a brilliant job. He had a huge team working on him and everyone has done their little bit. To be fair we have had a very comfortable and uninterrupted preparation. There have been no recurrences.
Enjoyed himself
“You wouldn’t normally ride him that way as he has got so much speed, but he really is a very quick horse. He doesn’t do anything like that at home. He just enjoyed himself out there. That is a very good horse, he has got so much speed. It is extraordinary you have got one after another and it is like when Buveur D’Air, Epatante and Binocular all came along and the bus is still rolling in which is lovely.
“I was nervous when I saw him pull as hard as that as that wasn’t in his vocabulary or our plan.
“You thought you would just settle him in and follow them around and have a crack between the last two, but he still quickened up very well turning in. He is happy to be back, and we are all mighty relieved to see him back.
“He is seriously good - it is frightening. We will not say we will do this now, let’s see how we are tomorrow and let’s see how the lie of the land is like. I spoke to Joe Donnelly (about the choice of Cheltenham targets) and he said: ‘that’s your problem,’ but it’s a high-class problem to have.”
Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
THERE was a double on the day for owners Joe and Marie Donnelly as Kitzbuhel (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) justified 13/8 favouritism in the Grade 1 Kauto Star, looking a smashing prospect and proving his stamina for three miles by making all and jumping with alacrity to beat Thomas Mor (Philip Hobbs & Johnson White/Ben Jones) and Wendigo (Jamie Snowden/Gavin Sheehan) by two and three-quarter lengths and a length in a time 2.5 seconds slower than the roller-coaster King George that followed.
Kitzbuhel disappointed when fancied for the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle on his first try at three miles in the spring, but he got quite wound up in the preliminaries that day and didn’t do himself justice.
He travelled early to Kempton as a precaution, settled in well and showed the benefit of that approach with a much more professional performance. He will be ideally suited by the two miles and five furlongs of the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival and is one to look forward to at the spring festivals.
Kempton Saturday
MAMBONUMBERFIVE (Ben Pauling/Ben Jones) was a Grade 2 winner over hurdles at Kempton last season and matched that achievement as he maintained his 100% record over fences with an impressive win in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase, with the 85/40 shot coming from off the pace to beat Hansard (Gary & Josh Moore/Harry Cobden) by seven lengths. Mirabad (Dan/Harry Skelton) was another head away in a field of five.
The giant four-year-old was helped to victory by the non-performance of favourite Lump Sum (finished lame), but he completed the two-mile trip just 0.3 second slower that the experienced chasers in the Desert Orchid 40 minutes later and would likely have taken all the beating in any case, a couple of minor mid-race errors notwithstanding.
Winner of handicaps at Aintree and Newbury on his first two starts over fences, he has jumped soundly overall and has the physique of a horse who will continue to improve throughout the season and beyond.
He proved himself a genuine Arkle contender here, for all he needs to show that he can cope with Cheltenham.
Thistle do nicely
Thistle Ask has proved a revelation since moving from James Ewart to Dan Skelton and made it four wins from as many starts for his new stable when beating Saint Segal (Jane Williams/David Noonan) by an eased-down 10 lengths in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Handicap.
Despite Harry Skelton easing down in the last half-furlong on the 15/8 second-favourite, Thistle Ask set a new course record of 3 minutes 45.2 seconds.
He led early and regained the advantage before halfway before pulling well clear, with his margin reduced only when the race was in the bag, although it should be noted that market leader Ryan’s Rocket was travelling easily when falling at the seventh of the 12 fences. A rematch would be intriguing.
Chepstow Saturday
Coral Welsh Grand National
WHEN Potters Corner won the Welsh National in 2019, he was the first Welsh-trained winner of the race since Norther won the first Coral-sponsored running of the contest in 1973 for Cowbridge handler Denzil Jenkins, but the pendulum has swung heavily in recent years, and the victory of Haiti Couleurs (Rebecca Curtis/Sean Bowen) was the third for a Welsh-based trainer in the six years since.
The 5/1 shot was ridden aggressively, and outjumped main market rival Jubilee Express to lead outright at the seventh fence. When that gelding began to struggle shortly afterwards, Haiti Couleurs looked the winner and he dug deep to fend off the late challenge of O’Connell (Sue Smith & Joel Parkinson/Danny McMenamin), to win by three lengths.
Haiti Couleurs seemed to have his Gold Cup ambitions exposed when pulled up in the Betfair Chase, but this represented another career best to add to wins in the National Hunt Chase and Irish Grand National last season. The last horse to carry a similar weight to victory in the Chepstow was Native River, who went on to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, as did Welsh National heroes Burrough Hill Lad, Cool Ground, Master Oats (won WGN at Newbury), and Synchronised.
All those horses carried less than the record 11st 13lb which Haiti Couleurs had to shoulder, so it would be folly to deny his right to a place in the Gold Cup field.
Chester floors big names
Chester Williams landed the biggest success of his nascent training career when Tenter Le Tout (Gavin Sheehan) ran away with the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow on Monday. Having won at Exeter on her debut, the daughter of No Risk At All filly was sent off at 15/2 behind odds-on favourite Macktoad.
That gelding was beaten after making a series of mistakes, whereas Tenter Le Tout travelled well throughout and put the race to bed with quick jumps at the final two obstacles that allowed her to pull seven lengths clear of Klycot (Richard Bandey/Jack Quinlan).