The festive season delivered a thrilling spectacle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day as The Jukebox Man surged to a dramatic victory in the 2025 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase - a race that once again underlined its status as a cornerstone of the National Hunt season and a key stepping-stone to Cheltenham glory.
In a pulsating three-mile Grade 1 battle, Harry Redknapp’s charge just held on in a photo-finish that had the crowd roaring, with the trio of leading stayers locked together entering the final furlong. This wasn’t just a win - it was a statement performance from a horse with Gold Cup ambitions.
For Cheltenham Festival fans, the implications couldn’t be bigger. The King George has long been one of the season’s premier form-gauges for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with legends such as Kauto Star and Best Mate having used it as a springboard to Cotswold success in years past.
With The Jukebox Man now firmly on the radar for March, connections and punters alike will be watching his spring campaign with intense interest. Meanwhile other top stayers who lined up at Kempton - and those shaping up with Festival entries - have laid down early pointers for what promises to be yet another epic Gold Cup showdown at Prestbury Park.
One thing’s certain: the road to Cheltenham’s blue riband event has never felt more electrifying. Stay tuned - the chase for Gold Cup glory is well and truly underway!
