Football manager turned racing enthusiast Harry Redknapp is dreaming of one of the biggest victories of his life this Boxing Day, as his star steeplechaser, The Jukebox Man, prepares to contest the prestigious King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.
From Poplar to the Paddock: A Lifelong Passion
Reflecting at trainer Ben Pauling's stable last week, the former FA Cup winner and 'King of the Jungle' traced his love of betting and racing back to his childhood in London's East End. He recalled his grandmother, who acted as a bookmaker's runner when betting was illegal. "She wouldn't believe it," Redknapp said, picturing her being "slung in the back of a police van" for collecting bets.
In the 1950s, with no betting shops, wagers were placed through figures like 'Cyril the paperboy'. Results came via the radio at six o'clock. "She'd scribble them down so she knew who'd won and who'd lost," Redknapp remembered. His early forays into gambling were with teammates at West Ham, but it was dog racing at Walthamstow and Hackney Wick, not the turf, that captured their attention.
Four Decades of Ownership: From Slick Cherry to Shakem Up'Arry
Redknapp's journey as a racehorse owner began in earnest in the late 1980s after a move to Bournemouth. He was part of a seven-person syndicate that paid £1,000 each for a horse named Slick Cherry, trained by David Elsworth. That filly's win at Windsor in July 1990 ignited a passion that has spanned over 40 years, through dozens of horses on the Flat and over jumps.
The pinnacle so far came at last year's Cheltenham Festival when Shakem Up'Arry scored a memorable victory. That win softened the blow of The Jukebox Man's narrow defeat at the same meeting just 24 hours later, after leading at the final flight. "It was like being two up going into extra time... and suddenly, bang, bang, the dream's gone," Redknapp admitted.
Champions League of Racing: The Boxing Day Showdown
Now, The Jukebox Man, a 6-1 shot, lines up in what is considered one of the strongest King George fields in years. The race boasts legends like Arkle, Desert Orchid, and Kauto Star on its roll of honour. "It's like going into the Champions League," Redknapp said. "You look at the teams that are still in it and you think, my God, but you still think you've got a chance."
Redknapp confesses to lying in bed visualising his horse jumping the last at Kempton in front. His wife, Sandra, who humorously "fell off the settee" when a pundit claimed Redknapp never buys a bad horse, will make a rare trip to the races to watch. The horse is proven over the course and distance, having won a Grade One novice chase there on Boxing Day last year.
For the East End kid whose nan ran illegal bets, seeing his colours carried in such a celebrated race remains somewhat unbelievable. But with a live contender and a trainer who believes the horse is still improving, Harry Redknapp's dream of King George glory on 26 December is tantalisingly within reach.
