Ben Jones Ready to Rock Again on Jukebox Man for Harry Redknapp

Much attention in Wales has focussed on Bowen's likely ride Haiti Couleurs after the pair combined to win December's Welsh Grand National for Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis.

Outside of Wales attention is intensifying on Jones, who hails from Carmarthen, who has forged a formidable partnership with the eight-year-old chaser The Jukebox Man, trained just outside Cheltenham by Ben Pauling.

Their most eye-catching moment came on Boxing Day, when they produced a stirring victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, a performance that firmly established them among the elite staying chasers of the season - and made owner Harry  Redknapp a happy man.

Since then, the focus has been firmly on the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place in a little over two weeks’ time and stands as the most prestigious contest in British jump racing behind the Grand National.

The strategy has been to keep The Jukebox Man fresh and primed for the Festival showpiece.

READ MORE: Ben Jones And Lorcan Williams React To Welsh Double At Cheltenham

Irish challenger Fact To File currently heads the market with bookmakers DragonBet, with Jango Baie — fourth in the King George — close behind.

But The Jukebox Man remains prominent in the betting as a general 5-1 third favourite, reflecting the belief that Jones could emulate the feat last achieved by a Welsh jockey in 2008, when Sam Thomas won on Denman.

For Jones, the season has already marked a personal breakthrough. The 26-year-old, whose father Dai also rode and now serves as clerk of the course at Chepstow, has surpassed his previous prize-money best and matched last season’s total of 77 winners with a recent success at Southwell.

READ MORE: Sean Bowen Backs Haiti Couleurs for Gold Cup Glory After Final Step Safely Taken

Victory in the Gold Cup would see him follow in the footsteps of Thomas, who partnered Denman to victory 18 years ago, and former football manager Redknapp is unapologetically bullish about his horse’s prospects.

Redknapp said: “It’s a dream to have a horse to run in the Gold Cup with a chance. I’ve had an awful lot of horses, but this one has taken us to places that you only dream about as an owner. He’s my dream, he’s not for sale and wouldn’t be for any price.

READ MORE: Sean Bowen and Haiti Couleurs Confirmed as Cheltenham Gold Cup Contenders

“I’m not saying we’re going to win it, but we’ve got a serious horse. It’s an open race and we’ve got as good a chance as anything.”

Behind the scenes, the relationship between Jones and Pauling has gone from strength to strength, with the Gloucestershire-based trainer providing more winners for the jockey than anyone else in recent years.

Pauling believes the excitement surrounding the Gold Cup challenge is fully justified.

He said: “Having a horse of his calibre in the form that he is in, is exceptionally exciting for me and the whole team here. To be doing it with Harry, who not only is a bit of a national treasure, but someone I’ve had a great relationship with for the last seven or eight years, is wonderful.

“We are very fortunate the attention is there because Harry is a competitor. He loves the sport. He’s not fly by night – he’s been in it for far too long. It’s attention for the right reasons and hopefully that can be good for racing.”

Standing in their way will be champion jockey Bowen, who is set to partner Haiti Couleurs in the Festival centrepiece. T

Trained in Pembrokeshire by Curtis, the Welsh Grand National winner is priced around 7-1 and already has Cheltenham Festival form, having scored at the meeting under Jones last year.

Bowen arrives in formidable shape, having reached a landmark 200 winners for the 2025-26 season at Ffos Las Racecourse on Friday — a feat achieved by only a handful of jump jockeys, including Sir Anthony McCoy, Brian Hughes, Richard Johnson and Peter Scudamore.

Ffos Las returns to action on Sunday with a St David’s Day-themed card, featuring a live choir, discounted drinks during the first hour after gates open at noon, and a range of family-friendly activities.

Further racing follows at Chepstow Racecourse on March 15, two days after the Gold Cup, as the Welsh jump season continues to gather pace.