Harry Redknapp has insisted there are no excuses after his horse The Jukebox Man faded in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, comparing a potential victory to winning the Champions League. The 79-year-old former football manager watched his eight-year-old gelding run prominently before weakening in the closing stages, eventually finishing behind the impressive winner Gaelic Warrior.
Speaking after the race, Redknapp said: "Yeah, absolutely [it would have been like winning the Champions League] if we had won here today, but Gaelic Warrior was fantastic. My God, didn't he win? Really impressive." He added that his horse "traveled great until two out, and then he just seemed to just fall in a bit of a hole", but stressed that the main thing was that the horse returned safely.
Redknapp revealed that The Jukebox Man had missed a week of work before the Festival but refused to use that as an excuse. "He missed a week's work and I'm not blaming it, I'm not making excuses," he explained. "The winner won, different class but he did miss a week's work. He simply just ran out of steam today."
Despite the disappointment, Redknapp reflected positively on the experience of having a Gold Cup contender. "I've loved it. It's been a great week. The build up and the dream and everything. I've loved it. To have a runner here with a chance was fantastic for me," he said. He praised the winner and acknowledged that his horse had given his best.
Redknapp's only previous Cheltenham Festival success came in 2024 with Shakem Up’Arry in the Plate Handicap Chase, but running in the Gold Cup marks a significant step up in class for the owner. He concluded: "That's why it would have been great today if he could have won it. He didn't but he came and give his best shot."
