Harry Redknapp is a man used to winning on the biggest stages whether that is on the pitch in the dugout, or even in the jungle.
In fact he is seen to have such a midas touch that Speedway Futures Ltd, the commercial and media rights holders of British Speedway, have enlisted him to transform the fortunes of a sport that makes horse racing look relatively coherent.
But on a cold morning in Naunton Downs the only thing Redknapp is here to discuss is not drinking a blended pigs penis in a bushtucker trial, winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth, or watching the Poole Pirates, but his love for horse racing, and in particular The Jukebox Man.
Although having been a racing fan since a young age it is only in recent seasons that the 78-year-old has started to enjoy the sort of success he has been used to on the football pitch, both as a player, and manager, on the racetrack.
Last year he celebrated a breakthrough Cheltenham Festival triumph through the now retired Shakem’upharry, while 12 months ago he sampled a taste of Grade One glory through The Jukebox Man in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park.
And now, after watching his pride and joy making a winning return at Haydock Park last month, he has aspirations of even greater success in what is shaping up to be a belter of a Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at the Sunbury venue on Boxing Day.
He said: “When I bought him he wasn’t like five hundred thousand pounds or anything like that, but we thought he should be alright, however he has outgrown all our expectations which has been great.
“He is stepping up in grade so we will find out how good he is. Ben is a good judge, and he is quite bullish about him, so let’s hope he is right, but he has never been wrong for me.
“To get a Cheltenham Festival winner will always be special to me, but to win a King George would be a dream, but I know how hard it will be to do it.”
Understandably, football is never far away from the mind of Redknapp, who has managed the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Luka Modric, through spells at Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
Now we all know trainers are reluctant to compare horses, however likening the gelded son of Ask to one of the many players he has managed is an altogether different matter, and intriguing one at that.
And to those huddled around the table in the kitchen area at Pauling's state-of-the-art yard, the two players he puts forward perfectly sum up a horse that quite clearly has two different characters at home and away.
Redknapp said: “Character wise when you go in his box he is a bit of Julian Dicks I think as he will bite you, and kick you, and he won’t care. He definitely has got a bit of a devil in him.
“When we get him to the track hopefully he runs like Gareth Bale, and off he goes, well that’s the plan!
“It is like going into the Champions League and you think, My God, look at the teams in it, but you still think you have a chance.
“You dream you could go all the way and win it with a bit of luck. You get through the first round and you are on the way and you just don’t know.
“If he is improving like Ben says he is then he has got to have a real chance.”
For those now getting the vision of an equine combination of West Ham United hard man Dicks and former Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid flair man Bale, then Pauling’s description of The Jukebox Man further adds weight to that picture.
Pauling said: “He is an incredibly kind horse to ride. For a big strong powerful individual he is a proper gent, but he has his own rules about life.
“His box is his world and his stable is his kingdom. You come anywhere near that and you have not got your attention you can lose a finger.
“You leave a hand on top of his door and he will try and have it. He is sharp and he is a strong minded horse, but he seems to use it in the right way. He knows he is good.”
Back to Redknapp, and while horse racing is now his hobby, keeping the theme of football flowing is easy for a man who worked in the beautiful game for well over 50 years.
And having compared his equine pride and joy to two players, he has little problem in his assessment of Pauling as it stands in the current National Hunt managers table.
He added: “I think Ben’s profile is getting better. He is getting owners spending more money buying better horses and that is giving him a better chance.
“If he was a football manager he would be in a European spot now. He would be looking to push into the Champions League.
“At the moment the Champions League in the jump’s game is Mullins, Nicholls, Henderson and Skelton, and he is on the verge of getting in with them.
"Ben is probably in the Europa League looking to get in the Champions League, but that is where he is going and he is improving and the stable is getting better.”
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A victory for The Jukebox Man in the King George on Boxing Day would see Pauling banging on that door to secure Champions League qualification, and one of those it could come at the expense is of his old boss Nicky Henderson.
However, much like how Mikel Arteta has tried to learn from his old boss Pep Guardiola since making the jump from his assistant at Man City to the manager of Arsenal, Pauling hopes he can now draw on what he gleaned from his time spent with Henderson come December 26th.
Pauling said “I was in such a fortunate period of Nicky’s career as I went there the January before Punjabi won the Champion Hurdle then the wheels started rolling and building up his battalion.
"The year before I left he had his seven winners at Cheltenham and at Aintree and the season I left he won the title back so it was six and a half brilliant years.
"I did get experience of watching him prepare these good horses and I hope we can do something similar as he is a master at it. It will feel a little bit different under our name as such. We have prepared horses for lots of big races, but this one is just a little bit special.”
With all the talk on The Jukebox Man over, and an impending photoshoot being organised with his pride and joy, Redknapp, ever the gent he is, still has time to squeeze in a line on his involvement in speedway racing.
Redknapp said: “I used to take my lads down to Poole when they were younger and they loved it down there. I hadn’t been down there for years, but I went to the Poole versus Glasgow match at the end of the season and it was a great atmosphere, but those boys are crazy.
“I was asked by some of those in the sport if I could help them out, which I will try my best to do."
And here’s hoping Redknapp can help another sport in need of a much-needed boost given recent rumblings and that it is his colours celebrating horse racing's equivalent of three points come 3.15pm on Boxing Day.
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