Stellar Story (left) win the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Grade 1 from The Jukebox Man © Photo Healy Racing
Harry Redknapp knows plenty about sporting excellence and his exciting chasing prospect The Jukebox Man makes his eagerly-awaited fences bow in the Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase at Newbury on Friday.
The former football manager won the FA Cup with Portsmouth and also guided Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League during his decorated career in the dugout, but it is Ben Pauling who oversees The Jukebox Man’s preparations on the equine training grounds.
The Gloucestershire handler has been excited by what he has seen from the seven-year-old when schooling over the larger obstacles and having gone close to Grade One glory at both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree in the spring, is confident his charge can make his mark in this new discipline.
Pauling said: “It’s great to be getting started and it’s been a slow old autumn because of the weather with him. But he came through his racecourse gallop at Newbury very well and in his schooling he’s been electric – we’re looking forward to seeing him just as much as everyone else.
“Being honest, the chase course is good to soft, soft in places and although I think he’ll be perfectly fine on that we are dropping back in trip. Even though I don’t think that will be a negative, it will be the quickest ground he will have run on over two and a half miles.
“I fully expect him to jump and travel nicely. It’s a very deep race for the six runners that are there, but he goes there in good order.”
The cameras were trained on Redknapp as he was seen wincing in despair following The Jukebox Man’s agonising reversal in the Albert Bartlett in March.
However, the 77-year-old – who is a big supporter of Pauling – will be a notable absentee from the paddock on this occasion.
“Annoyingly Harry can’t be there, he’s got a lunch in Cardiff he is doing a talk at,” continued Pauling.
“He’s disappointed to say the least but the horse needs to run in this race anyway.”
Standing in The Jukebox Man’s way is Paul Nicholls’ Captain Teague, who claimed the scalp of Pauling’s star performer when they clashed in the Challow Hurdle at this track last season.
He was awarded a walkover on his intended chasing bow at Exeter earlier this month and Nicholls is keen to unleash him over the larger obstacles.
He told Betfair: “He won the Persian War and the Challow last season before disappointing at Cheltenham in the spring when he was never quite right along with several others in the yard.
“He is in top order now, enjoyed a gallop round Newbury last week and I’ve always thought he would make a chaser. His schooling over fences has been very good and I’d like to think he has a big chance.”
Nicholls will also be represented in the Coral Long Distance Hurdle by Pertemps hero Monmiral, another with a footballing connection and counts Sir Alex Ferguson among his owners.
However, most eyes will be on Olly Murphy’s Liverpool Hurdle hero Strong Leader as he gets his season up and running.
The seven-year-old has thrived since upped in trip, going close in the Cleeve Hurdle before connections’ decision to skip the Cheltenham Festival paid dividends at Aintree when he galloped to Grade One glory.
Murphy said: “He’s in good form, he’s been trained for the race and we’re looking forward to running him. Obviously it’s cut up big time so hopefully he’s the one they’ve all got to beat.
“It’s the start of what is hopefully a busy season for him, I’m expecting him to be fit enough to go and win but I’ve left a bit to work with as well.
“I don’t know why it’s cut up as bad as it did but it’s still a tight little race. I wouldn’t swap my lad, he’s got a penalty and we have bigger targets ahead but it’d be lovely to win it.”
Dual Coral Cup champion Langer Dan and Deborah Cole’s Flight Deck also head to post in a select field of four.
The former finished the season with real zest when following up his Cheltenham Festival success with near misses behind Impaire Et Passe at both Aintree and Sandown, but trainer Dan Skelton has sounded his yearly warning about Langer Dan’s early-season form.
Skelton told Ladbrokes: “It’s disappointing that only four horses have turned up for this one, but that’s a sign of the kind of horses that you need to compete at this level.
“There’s a couple of 160 horses in here. Langer Dan is always better in the spring, in my opinion, but I’ve done as much work as I can with him and we’ll see how we get on.”
