Trainer Ben Pauling is confident that his King George winner The Jukebox Man can arrive at Cheltenham in rude health.
The Jukebox Man is among the favourites for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after his Kempton heroics in December. Having won the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase in 2024, he secured one of the most dramatic renewals of the King George VI Chase in recent memory. The eight-year-old overcame Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior in a pulsating three-way tussle.
And Pauling believes the best could yet be to come as his horse has reportedly thrilled him on the gallops.
“He’s physically A1 and is looking better than he has looked all season,” Pauling told Racing TV. “He’s moving great. Ollie (Wardle) who rides him out every day and knows him inside out couldn’t be happier with him. I must say I was quite taken by his first piece of work back as he’s not a fabulous work horse, but he looked good.”
Pauling: “The DRF was hard work”
While The Jukebox Man’s preparation has been spot on, Pauling believes his Irish rivals may not arrive in the same health.
“The DRF for me was a very different meeting to what we’ve seen before,” said Pauling. “It doesn’t feel like the normal Irish domination is coming at the moment. March could be a different kettle of fish and you never know Willie might turn up and win as many as he normally does.
“But I thought the DRF was hard work. It looked tough and every horse who went there for a prep will know it’s had a race. It could tilt things slightly in our favour and sometimes the DRF can look like a schooling session for horses on their way to Cheltenham, while this time it could have left a few marks.”
Pauling believes said conditions may have directly compromised those in immediate competition with The Jukebox Man too.
“The Irish Gold Cup was a proper end-to-end gallop. Fact To File shocked us all by staying so well and now firmly comes into the picture, but I’ve said off the back of the King George The Jukebox Man wouldn’t run between now and the Gold Cup and his preparation has been set up to be spot on for that.”
Contrasting that to The Jukebox Man’s racing this season, Pauling said: “He’s had a lovely float round Haydock and then with the ground at Kempton. He hasn’t had to go too deep, so we’re in a good place.”
Pauling’s mind games show that the build up to the Cheltenham Festival is now firmly under way. The Gold Cup itself will take place at Cheltenham at 4pm on Friday 13 March.