TRAINER BEN PAULING is delighted with The Jukebox Man as the King George winner builds up towards a crack at the Gold Cup next month.

The Harry Redknapp-owned chaser will spearhead Pauling’s Cheltenham Festival squad having prevailed in a thrilling four-way finish at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

While Pauling has always been heading straight to the Gold Cup, he feels those that have had hard prep races in very soft ground in recent weeks, particularly those that ran at the Dublin Racing Festival, could be at a disadvantage.

“The DRF for me was a very different meeting to what we’ve seen before,” said Pauling.

“It doesn’t feel like the normal Irish domination is coming at the moment, March could be a different kettle of fish and you never know Willie might turn up and win as many as he normally does.

“But I thought the DRF was hard work, it looked tough and every horse who went there for a prep will know it’s had a race. It could tilt things slightly in our favour and sometimes the DRF can look like a schooling session for horses on their way to Cheltenham, while this time it could have left a few marks.

“The Irish Gold Cup was a proper end-to-end gallop and Fact To File shocked us all by staying so well and now firmly comes into the picture, but I’ve said off the back of the King George (that) The Jukebox Man wouldn’t run between now and the Gold Cup and his preparation has been set up to be spot on for that.”

The Jukebox Man ridden by Ben Jones on their way to winning at Kempton Park at Christmas. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Regarding his eight-year-old, who is still unbeaten over fences, Pauling said: “He’s in particularly good form and has done his first serious piece of work now. He will probably work twice a week with a racecourse gallop somewhere in between but he’s in the type of form you want to see him in and the King George doesn’t look to have left a mark at all.

“He’s had a lovely float round Haydock and then with the ground at Kempton, he hasn’t had to go too deep, so we’re in a good place.

“He handles anything quite clearly and his hurdling form was on heavy but most of his chasing form has been on good. I think if it was good to soft or soft, even good, it doesn’t matter to him as he’s very versatile and that is a positive.

“I think he did very well to win at Kempton and I thought jumping three out he was going to win by two or three lengths and then they just quickened it up big time and for him I think he was flat out. It was only his great attitude and the fact he stayed every yard of the three miles he got back up and I do believe that Cheltenham is going to suit him very well.

“He’s physically A1 and is looking better than he has looked all season. He’s moving great and Ollie (Wardle) who rides him out every day and knows him inside out, couldn’t be happier with him. I must say I was quite taken by his first piece of work back as he’s not a fabulous work horse, but he looked good.”