Harry Redknapp ‘dreaming’ of Gold Cup win and will be wearing good luck charm gifted by Paolo Di Canio
Harry Redknapp has his eyes set on the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup in March with one of the favourites in the race, The Jukebox Man.
The declarations are still to decide the final runners for the feature race of the event, but this Redknapp-owned horse is poised to impress.
The former English football manager and player has long been involved in ownership of horses, with a love for the sport going back years.
The 78-year-old has already enjoyed success as an owner at the Cheltenham Festival with Shakem Up’Arry in the Plate Handicap Chase in 2024.
Redknapp all confidence in The Jukebox Man
Redknapp spoke to Sporting Life about the importance of the Gold Cup and his horse, who’s unbeaten over fences.
He explained: “It would be a dream to win a Gold Cup, it would be incredible. It is the World Cup of National Hunt racing.
“To win the King George was beyond my wildest dreams for sure but to win a Gold Cup would be amazing.
“He goes there with a chance. I had a dream before the King George and that came true, now I am dreaming about the Gold Cup.
“We have a chance, there are a lot of good horses, it’s a very open race but I wouldn’t want to swap The Jukebox Man for anything else in the race, that’s for sure.”
Good luck charm
Redknapp won’t just be relying on jockey Ben Jones or trainer Ben Pauling for a big win, but will also be hoping on a bit of fortune with a good luck charm gifted by a West Ham legend.
He explained: “I’ll wear Paolo Di Canio’s tie, he was a great player for me.
“He gave me a tie the night before Cheltenham that I wore when Shakemup’arry won so I shall wear his tie again that’s for sure.”
2026 Gold Cup rivals
The Jukebox Man is around 5’s to win the Gold Cup on 13th March but does face strong competition.
According to the Gold Cup ante-post market, his main rivals will be Jango Baie trained by Nicky Henderson and Gaelic Warrior trained by Willie Mullins.
Jango Baie finished half a length behind The Jukebox Man at Kempton in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day and remains unexposed over 3m presenting quite the opportunity for him to reverse the form.
Meanwhile Gaelic Warrior, with more chase experience, was just a short head behind Redknapp’s horse at Kempton, in what was one of the most thrilling King George VI’s in recent memory.
The Mullins-trained horse has also gone close and beaten Fact To File this season who could either go to the Gold Cup or head to the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham Festival.
Claim over £500 in Cheltenham Festival free bet offers for this years meeting
talkSPORT BET Betting Offer – Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets! – CLAIM HERE*
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
*18+ New Customers. Opt in, deposit and bet £10+ on any horse racing markets within 7 days of sign up. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets for set horse racing markets. Bonuses expire in 30 days. Click for T&Cs. GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
