Harry Redknapp, the former FA Cup-winning manager and celebrity racehorse owner, has a live contender for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. His horse, The Jukebox Man, is a 6-1 shot in what is considered one of the strongest fields in years for the prestigious steeplechase, which counts legends like Arkle and Desert Orchid among its past winners.
Redknapp's passion for racing stems from his childhood in London's East End, where his grandmother worked as a bookie's runner. Betting was illegal then, and she would take bets for Cyril the paperboy, collecting results from the radio at six o'clock. Redknapp recalls standard bets of three tuppenny doubles and a tuppenny treble, and his nan being arrested regularly.
Now an owner for four decades, Redknapp bought his first horse, Slick Cherry, while manager of Bournemouth in the late 1980s. That horse, stablemate to Desert Orchid, won at Windsor in 1990. The highlight of his ownership so far came at last year's Cheltenham festival, when Shakem Up'Arry won, while The Jukebox Man was narrowly defeated after leading at the last flight.
Redknapp admits to dreaming of The Jukebox Man jumping the last at Kempton and going clear, but also remembers the disappointment at Cheltenham. His wife Sandra, who accompanied him to trainer Ben Pauling's yard, has grown accustomed to his hobby, often discovering new purchases long after the fact. She found humour in a TV pundit's claim that Redknapp never buys a bad horse, given his long list of also-rans.
