HARRY REDKNAPP claimed his first win at the Cheltenham Festival as Shakem Up’Arry raced to victory in the Magners Plate.
The ex-West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham boss went wild as he watched his 8/1 horse hang on in the home straight to triumph in superb fashion.
Harry Redknapp wildly celebrated his first Cheltenham Festival winGetty
Redknapp was over the moon following the victoryGetty
After the race, a jubilant Redknapp, who will also rake in £67,500 in prize money, told ITV Racing: “Oh my God. Get in there!
“To have a winner at Cheltenham… I have watched it all my life. I can’t tell you how great it feels. I’m so pleased!”
Redknapp, who could race Shakem Up’Arry in the Grand National next month, went on to reveal it was his nan that inspired his interest in racing.
He added: “My nan got me into racing, she was a bookies runner back in the day.
“She’d get locked up in Poplar Police Station in the East End of London because it was illegal in those days.
“I love the horses, I love the festival, I love the people. It means so much.”
Redknapp confirmed the reason behind the horse’s unique name a few years ago.
He said: “I used to have a guy stand behind me at West Ham when I was manager.
“For 90 minutes, he’d shout right behind my dugout, ‘shake ’em up, ‘Arry, shake ’em up, ‘Arry’.
“I used to come home on Saturday night after the game and all I could hear was this guy’s voice, ‘shake ’em up ‘Arry’.
“So I thought, when I get a horse, I’ve got to call it Shakem Up’Arry.”
Meanwhile, an ecstatic Redknapp also spoke hilariously about his wife, Sandra, following the victory.
He said: “My wife thinks I’ve only got one horse, she doesn’t know about the other 25!
“She’s probably out shopping – ‘what happened to your horse Harry?’
‘Oh nothing, he just won!’”
Among those Shakem Up’Arry beat included Sir Alex Ferguson’s Il Ridoto.
The Manchester United icon’s horse finished down in eighth place.
But Sir Alex still enjoyed a thoroughly successful day at Cheltenham as he claimed TWO wins in successive races.
And Redknapp took the time to praise Sir Alex for his back-to-back wins.
He added: “Alex got two and that was great for him. He’s a great man and we had a great time playing against each other over the years.
“We used to have a bet in the office at quarter past two then back to business after that. They were great days.”
Ben Jones, the jockey that rode Shakem Up’Arry to victory, added: “Honestly I haven’t got any words.
“He’s given me my first festival winner and it means so much. What a thrill.
“I can’t explain how much Ben (trainer Ben Pauling) and the team, and Mr Redknapp, have done for me. This is so special.”
FREE BETS – GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024: FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION WITH OUR LIVE BLOG