<< <26th Dec 2025 – Kempton 14:30:00> >>

Race Shape & Context

• New course record, a massive 6.87s faster than standard.
• Relentless gallop, no hiding place.
• Five horses within ½ length jumping the last — this was elite-level sustained speed, not a muddle.

Kempton did what Kempton does: exposed any flaw in rhythm, jumping or energy distribution.

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Winner: The Jukebox Man (7/1)

RPR 174 | TS 160 | OR 156

This was a career-defining performance.

• Market: Respectable support but still underestimated.
• Run style: Always prominent, perfectly placed, battled when headed.
• Key moment: Lost the lead at the last… then found again.

The RPR of 174 is enormous and fully justified by the time and depth. TS 160 confirms he sustained a brutal gallop without blinking. This wasn’t a lucky bob — this was resilience under maximum pressure.

Verdict: Fully legit King George winner. Jumped, travelled, stayed, fought. This is top-class form that stands up anywhere.

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2nd: Banbridge (16/1)

RPR 174 | TS 160 | OR 167

Massive run in defeat.

• Market: Largely dismissed.
• Run style: Keen early, some scrappy jumping, still came to win it.
• Finish: Led at the last, only nailed on the line.

This is one of those runs where the figure matters more than the position. Equal-top RPR, did plenty wrong, and still almost won a record-breaking King George.

Verdict: This was no fluke. If he ever puts it all together cleanly, he wins a big one — maybe at Cheltenham where rhythm matters slightly less than here.

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3rd: Gaelic Warrior (9/4J)

RPR 174 | TS 160 | OR 174

Ran like a monster… but didn’t win.

• Market: Joint-favourite, expected to deliver.
• Run style: Keen, prominent, travelled like the best horse.
• Issue: Just couldn’t quite land the killer blow.

The figures say he ran to his rating. The visuals say the same. This was not a failure — just a deep, deep race.

Verdict: Still elite. This performance confirms him as a leading Gold Cup player rather than a Kempton specialist.

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4th: Jango Baie (9/4J)

RPR 173 | TS 160 | OR 165

High-class and very unlucky not to win.

• Market: Strong joint-favourite.
• Run style: Took keen hold, jumped well enough, right there all the way.
• Finish: Kept on strongly but just lacked a final gear.

Another one running to a huge number. This was Grade 1 championship form, plain and simple.

Verdict: Brutal race to finish fourth in. He’s absolutely top-drawer.

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5th: Djelo (14/1)

RPR 166 | TS 154 | OR 164

Ran a cracker until it unravelled.

• Made a strong mid-race move.
• Jumping error at 2 out ended hopes.

Verdict: Ran better than the bare result. Still a high-class chaser, just not quite at this nuclear level.

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Disappointments / Explanations

Fact To File (3/1)

RPR 164 | TS 152

• Never travelled with his usual fluency.
• Outpaced once pressure came on.

Verdict: Not disgraced on figures, but this exposed him as more of a Gallopin Des Champs type test horse than a Kempton burner.

Il Est Francais (20/1, PU)

• Went hard, folded quickly.
• Vet found nothing.

Verdict: This was pace-related, not physical. Kempton + relentless pressure caught him out.

Master Chewy (100/1)

Outclassed. No surprises.

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Overall Race Verdict

This was a historically strong King George:

• Five horses ran to 173+ RPRs.
• Record time.
• Multiple credible Gold Cup contenders.

Bottom line:
The Jukebox Man earned this the hard way — toughness, positioning, and refusal to lose. But make no mistake: this race upgraded everyone in the first four.