There was always going to be a story from such a momentous day and the fact Ben Jones is already smiling indicates he is about to tell a good one.
Jones is a jockey going places quickly and his alliance with The Jukebox Man, Harry Redknapp’s pride and joy, has taken him into a new realm. Twelve days from now, the pair will have a legion of followers when they try to land jump racing’s most prestigious race, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
What a moment it would be if they were to do it and there is every reason to believe the fairytale could come true, given what Jones and The Jukebox Man did at Kempton last Boxing Day — they made front page headlines after the greatest ever finish to the Ladbrokes King George.
As we watch a replay, when three horses were separated by flared nostrils at the end of three breathless miles, Jones cannot wait to talk about The Jukebox Man and how being introduced to Redknapp left him starstruck. First, though, it is to the story he is itching to tell.
‘My wife, Laura, and her sister, Natalie, had come to Kempton with me,’ he begins. ‘They were with Ben (Pauling, The Jukebox Man’s trainer) after the King George but I still had to ride in a couple more races. I was over the moon but, of course, I had to go back to work, as normal.
Jockey Ben Jones admits he was ‘starstruck’ meeting Harry Redknapp for the first time
‘After my last ride, I went into the owners’ and trainers’ bar to meet Laura and Natalie, and they were absolutely polluted!
‘So it was left to me to drive everyone home — and the only place we got to stop was McDonald’s. I had a McChicken sandwich meal, they went straight to bed!
‘So that was my celebration. I sat up on my own and must have watched the replay 64 times!’
No wonder. It was everything a horse race should be, high-class animals and top-class jockeys giving everything. Redknapp fought back tears as Jones, a 26-year-old from Carmarthen, conjured one last effort from his steed.
The importance of the success must not be underplayed. Redknapp — an FA Cup-winning, King of the Jungle — is the kind of figure racing needs, a hugely popular man who transcends the sport and carries it to different parts of the media landscape. Interest in next week’s Festival will be huge.
Redknapp has packed so many things into his life, but to see him around Pauling’s yard in the Cotswolds, standing outside The Jukebox Man’s barn, is to see a man who remains a dreamer, pinching himself that this story is really happening.
His affection for Jones is equally obvious. Before we talk, he wraps Jones in a hug. It is all natural and the bond they shared was formed at a provincial course in south Wales in November 2023, when The Jukebox Man won his first race over hurdles.
‘Harry genuinely goes racing to enjoy it, not for a day out,’ says Jones. ‘The first day I met him was phenomenal. It was at Ffos Las, the first time I rode Jukebox — he had just rocked up, very down to earth and normal. He makes you feel involved and important.
Jones will be looking to deliver Redknapp another memorable day at the Cheltenham Festival
‘I always watch Match of the Day but I wouldn’t have a team that I follow. I was still 100 per cent starstruck when I met him but the first conversation with him made it feel like I had known him for years. He’s just such a nice fella.’
Like Jones, Redknapp is counting down the days to the Gold Cup. It is always extra special when a King George winner attempts to complete the double in the same campaign but it is a rare feat.
This will be the first time Jones has ridden in the race and he wonders whether he will ever get on a better animal. Jones would not be the kind of man who says anything outlandish, so read carefully what he says about The Jukebox Man.
‘He can be grumpy,’ he says with a smile. ‘He’d bite and kick you and throw you around his stable if you went into it! But on the track, it feels like you are on a spaceship — you’re just gliding away. He floats, he’s such a good jumper, you don’t even notice the fences.
‘They say to make the breakthrough as a jockey, you only need one horse. I’ve never ridden anything like him, he’s a level above.
‘I won’t go out feeling pressure, I’ll go out there with a smile on my face and enjoy it. Let’s hope we’re good enough.’