SHOUT OUT FOR JUKEBOX

BY JON LEES BEN PAULING yesterday said The Jukebox Man's ceiling has yet to be reached as he looked forward to taking on the winners of the last three Cheltenham Gold Cups with Harry Redknapp's star. The Naunton trainer learnt the identities of the King George winner's main rivals yesterday when defending champion Inothewayurthinkin and two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs were nominated among 33 entries for the March 13 big race. The Jukebox Man, who is four out of four over fences, defeated Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior by two noses with Jango Baie half a length back in fourth on Boxing Day. He is 8-1 with William Hill to land a Gold Cup, not won by a British-trained horse since 2018. “He's in great form out the back of Kempton,” said Pauling (left). “He looks a million dollars. It will now be a case of building him up to be spot-on on the day. “There's no two ways about it, it’s going to be an incredibly competitive race. I'm just very pleased it looks a more open picture than it looked in the past. “I believe he won round Kempton not necessarily because it was the perfect track. “We'd have loved a bit of soft ground but there wasn't and he still managed to get his head in front. “It's an exciting position to be in and he is without doubt one of the very fast improving second-season novices that nobody quite knows where the ceiling lies. “We go there with positivity and look forward to it.”

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BEN PAULING yesterday said The Jukebox Man's ceiling ha