Ladbrokes King George VI Chase
Grade 1, Kempton Park 14:30
£250,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
3m, Class 1  
Friday 26th December 2025

Ben Pauling’s assessment carries the measured confidence of a man who knows exactly what he has beneath him, and after The Jukebox Man’s “electric” Haydock return, it is little wonder he feels no need to look enviously at any of the other contenders.

Back on the racecourse for the first time since his victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over the same trip at Kempton last Christmas, the seven-year-old barely put a foot wrong in a graduation chase on Merseyside. Under a positive ride from Ben Jones, he dictated matters throughout, jumping with the sort of assurance that suggests the hiatus had done nothing to dull his enthusiasm.

Pauling reports him to have emerged from the run in fine shape, and though the market has swiftly moved in favour of Willie Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior after his stirring defeat of Fact To File in a gripping John Durkan at Punchestown, the Naunton trainer is more than content to enter the fray.

“The Jukebox Man seems all right, I’m very happy with him, which is great as it was obviously his first run for a little while,” said Pauling.

“It’s a positive report in that he’s in good order and we’ll have to see how we get on in a month’s time. That looked quite a good race in Ireland today and it’s definitely not going to be easy, but at least we’ve got a horse we think is good enough to line up and with the wind behind us, hopefully we’ll be there turning in and we can see where we are.

“He’s an exciting horse who has never really had to be extended to win over fences and I wouldn’t swap him for any (King George contender) at the moment. Willie obviously has a strong hand with Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File and whether they both come to Kempton, who knows?

“It was a good performance from Gaelic Warrior, to go that sort of gallop and fight back at the end was quite amazing. Fact To File had a proper job on to even get in touch with him, so I thought it was a very good performance from both of them and it’s going to be a very exciting King George if everyone turns up.”

Asked whether The Jukebox Man had surpassed expectations on his return, Pauling was unequivocal.

“Definitely. That (performance) was ridiculous, with how fit he was, it really was quite incredible.

“I was just delighted to see the way he jumped and travelled. I don’t think they went overly quick, but he didn’t miss a beat with his jumping – his jumping was equally as electric and accurate as it was last season – and that is what you need to see because after having an injury, you need to make sure that they’re still in the mindset.

“I can’t emphasise enough, although I tried to explain it beforehand, how much he will come on for the race and it was sort of the perfect trial for me because he hasn’t had to go to the well to win it. It was the perfect prep run for fitness and everything in order to go to Kempton with our confidence high.”

Nicky Henderson believes Jango Baie has all the makings to shine in what is fast shaping into a vintage renewal.

The Seven Barrows star, last season’s Arkle winner, was sent off the 9-4 favourite for the 1965 Chase at Ascot on Saturday and delivered exactly what the market expected, sauntering clear in a manner that announced his Kempton credentials loud and clear.

Of Jango Baie, Henderson reflected: “You’ve got to go to Kempton on Boxing Day with him and that seemed a nice, easy solution at 1.45pm on Saturday afternoon – but then The Jukebox Man ran and Gaelic Warrior won on Sunday and you are thinking blimey, we’re in something here! It’s going to be a good race.

“He jumped well and travelled well and what I did like is how he picked up from the last and went away. He’s got a gear and even had a gear over two miles and he’s got the pace to be in the race because he can travel as well.”

Jango Baie sits as the general 3-1 second favourite for one of the festive season’s crown jewels. Henderson, ever the analyst, admits there are questions to ponder about the strength of the Ascot form but hopes it will stand the test when the field lines up on December 26.

He explained: “You have to look at the race and put it on paper – there was Il Est Francais and Pic D’Orhy in there who are two ready-made Grade One winners.

“Poor Il Est Francais wasn’t the same horse as he was in the King George or the Feltham (Kauto Star Novices’ Chase) the year before and he didn’t run his race. But then if Paul (Nicholls) thinks Pic D’Orhy has run his race then ours has to be a seriously good performance.

“Gidleigh Park is another people might question, but I think he is a lovely horse and he was second. When we met before there wasn’t much between us and we finished lame actually.

“All of a sudden you could pick a hole in it and that’s me playing devil’s advocate. You could ask what did he beat on the day, but I’m hoping that is not true and it proves to be a great performance.”

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase
£250,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m, Class 1
20 entries
Going:

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 4U17-4 Banbridge 9 11-10 Joseph O'Brien
2 5245-4 Boombawn 8 11-10 Dan Skelton
3 127-33 Croke Park 7 11-10 Gordon Elliott
4 2176-1 Djelo 5 7 11-10 Venetia Williams
5 231-42 Fact To File 8 11-10 W P Mullins
6 U/14-3 Fastorslow 9 11-10 Martin Brassil
7 2362-1 Firefox 7 11-10 Gordon Elliott
8 P51-41 Found A Fifty 8 11-10 Gordon Elliott
9 2311-1 Gaelic Warrior 7 11-10 W P Mullins
10 2535-8 Grangeclare West 9 11-10 W P Mullins
11 42P-14 Heart Wood 7 11-10 Henry De Bromhead
12 261-3P Il Est Francais 7 11-10 Tom George
13 1213-1 Jango Baie 6 11-10 Nicky Henderson
14 U252-8 Jordans 6 11-10 Joseph O'Brien
15 42-222 Kolokico 5 11-10 Emmanuel Clayeux
16 4/31P- L'Homme Presse 10 11-10 Venetia Williams
17 156-24 Master Chewy 8 11-10 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
18 17-419 Riskintheground 8 11-10 Dan Skelton
19 2/11-1 The Jukebox Man 7 11-10 Ben Pauling
20 312-11 Panic Attack 9 11-3 Dan Skelton

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