I had my eye on ‘The Jukebox Man’ for a couple of months before the King George VI on Boxing Day so as soon as the odds came out, there was no doubt that I was going to have punt and at 8/1 with a cheeky £10 each way flutter, it definitely added to my Christmas!
Though the race itself was one of the best, if not the best I’ve seen recently. Any one of four could have won it in the end in what was essentially a photo finish.
Before the season started, I’d clocked Ben Pauling as a trainer to watch; there were (and still are) a number of impressive horses in his stable and The Jukebox Man was one that really stood out for me that could do something.
When I saw the field for the King George and the fact that Willie Mullins had pulled a few from this race (only having two in it), I figured there was a tactical reason; likely he knew that there were other horses, such as The Jukebox Man who would give him a run for his money.
This is exactly what happened. I think that Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File are more suited to the Cheltenham Festival, though the former (and joint-favourite – I think more because of the Mullins link), did brilliantly to finish third in a superb climax.
Of course, Banbridge (last year’s winner), was always going to be a credible threat, though I was surprised by his odds of 16/1 and thought he did really well. You could say the same for third-place and fellow favourite, Django Baie (9/4), who also ran a good race.
Time For Pauling To Shine
After an encouraging couple of years that have been based around building and consolidation, the Cheltenham-based trainer could well be in a position to finally make his mark and he has an impressive number of horses to showcase this, as he demonstrated with The Jukebox Man who will definitely be one to watch.
Pauling enjoys a fantastic relationship with jockey Ben Jones, who delivered the impressive win at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and the duo could well enjoy a superb Cheltenham Festival this season. I definitely think this team will make its mark.
I think he has one of the most impressive yards in terms of horses that have a lot of potential shine. Handstands is another one that I definitely like, while Mambonumberfive who won the day after Boxing Day for the team in the Grade 2 Novice Chase is another to keep an eye on.
That win on Boxing Day seemed to me like it was the result of a sustained period of work and certainly well-deserved. At only eight years old, he definitely has the potential to claim a few more Grade 1 wins as well. You heard it here first, Pauling is one to watch.