Ben Linfoot reflects on a brilliant renewal of the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton while he wonders if Sir Gino will be vulnerable in a Champion Hurdle.
Jukebox rocks Kempton classic
The simple way to explain the King George VI Chase at Kempton’s U.S.P to a non-racing fan is that it can bring together top-class steeplechasers from different distances like no other race in the jumps season.
With the 2025 renewal in the spotlight amidst the noise of a potential closure with the developers champing at the bit, fate assembled the best King George line-up in years with good horses and storylines everywhere you looked.
Here we had two-milers, intermediate horses, staying chasers, second-season chasers, the more experienced and the crème de la crème all thrown together for a King George for the ages on good ground conditions.
The main reason for this was the presence of two of Willie Mullins’ stable stars, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, who brought so much quality into a contest that was already brimming with domestic potential as well as last year’s winner and a Kempton specialist on a retrieval mission.
With Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival racing over the four days after December 25 these Irish monsters so often stay at home, but not this year, and that made it appointment viewing.
The domestic potential was headed by THE JUKEBOX MAN and Jango Baie, last year’s winner was Banbridge and the Kempton specialist was Il Est Francais, and while the first three mentioned played a part in the photo finish it’s the last-named that had such a big influence on the race.
He did what he does at Kempton, despite a below-par reappearance at Ascot last time, going out in front with some bold leaps, but new jockey Harry Cobden, who knows a thing or two about winning the King George, was mindful not to go off too quick in front.
That resulted in a race that wasn’t run at a breakneck tempo, and all of the eight-strong field still had a chance turning for home. Indeed, four lengths covered the field after the fourth last and from there it developed into a classic as they hared over the last three fences at speed in the straight.
When Il Est Francais dropped away, as if his pacemaker duties were done, the first to crack, certainly of the big guns, was Fact To File. Arguably at his optimum over 2m5f, perhaps he was undone by the tempo as the front four sprinted away from him and Djelo after the second last.
But still, just before the final fence you couldn’t call it.
Sean Bowen had just hit the front after timing Banbridge’s run with what looked like precision as Joseph O’Brien’s horse bid to add his name to the lengthy roll call of multiple winners.
On the outside was Jango Baie, under a Nico de Boinville still riding a Sir Gino high, who still looked like he had more in the tank jumping the final fence.
On the inside was Gaelic Warrior, who had enjoyed a dream run through under Paul Townend on the inside after conserving energy throughout.
And in the middle of the lot of them was Ben Jones on The Jukebox Man, a horse who had chased Il Est Francais’ tail throughout but was still in there pitching long after Tom George’s horse had fallen away.
A nose, nose and half-a-length separated the quartet in the photo, an Albert Bartlett runner-up beating a Martin Pipe winner and two Arkle winners, if we are dealing in Cheltenham Festival currency, as The Jukebox Man led home Banbridge, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie.
A brilliant result for Ben Pauling, Ben Jones and owner Harry Redknapp, the biggest victories of their racing lives, made all the more special by it being so close in a truly exceptional renewal.
Of course, this isn’t Cheltenham Festival currency. The build-up to that meeting starts now and the millions will be paid out in March.
Looking ahead nearly three months, though, you wouldn’t rule out Fact To File bouncing back in a Ryanair. You wouldn’t be surprised to see any of The Jukebox Man, Gaelic Warrior or Jango Baie play a big part in a Cheltenham Gold Cup.
But outside of the Festival there is no bigger Grade 1 chase than the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The 2025 renewal saw the race at its very best and while the contest will live on no matter where its home is, it remains to be seen if The Jukebox Man’s King George victory becomes poignant because it was Kempton’s last. As things stand, it will certainly be remembered for being one of its most dramatic.
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It’s hard to crab Sir Gino but…
Earlier on at Kempton the 17,000-strong crowd had already been treated to SIR GINO returning to the racetrack with a bang in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten racehorse took his career tally to seven from seven as he defied freshness after a lay-off to run out a brilliant six-length winner over Champion Hurdle and Fighting Fifth winner Golden Ace.
Make no mistake, the five-year-old is one of the most exciting horses in the sport and his engine is there for all to see as he had every right to fold in the closing stages here but instead he powered away for a most convincing win.
Now 7/4 favourite for the Champion Hurdle after this, he has quickly become the one to beat in a division that is crying out for a new star following the travails of stablemate Constitution Hill.
But I do have reservations about Sir Gino at those odds. Mainly because you can see why the son of It’s Gino went chasing last year. He gave his hurdles plenty of air and he certainly didn’t remind you of Buveur d’Air who was the last horse from Seven Barrows to switch back to a Champion Hurdle campaign after going over the bigger obstacles.
While Buveur d’Air was a natural hurdler who quickly skipped from one side to the other, Sir Gino just looks like he wants to jump a fence and you do wonder if that’s what will catch him out in the heat of Champion Hurdle battle.
Given how things have panned out in the division it’s easy to see why Sir Gino finds himself here and you would think a tilt at the Champion Chase this season will become much less likely now he’s put a marker down over timber.
But it’s not his title to lose yet. We’ll see what happens with Lossiemouth and co in Ireland this week and then there’s The New Lion getting ready to roar again, as well.
It seems fitting that a chaser has taken control of the Champion Hurdle market given the best hurdlers have failed to stay on their feet this season. But when it comes to the crunch on Tuesday March 10, a quick and brave hurdler could have his measure yet.
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