Former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp fancies his chances in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury

Shakem Up'Arry is due to run in next week's rescheduled race

FORMER Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp said he would prefer to watch an afternoon of racing at Newbury over any other sporting event.

The 73-year-old owns the Ben Pauling-trained Shakem Up’Arry, who has been entered into the £125,000 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury - which has been rescheduled for next Sunday, due to the track being frozen.

In his two previous visits to Newbury, Shakem Up’Arry has finished second on both occasions to the Nicky Henderson duo Shishkin and Mister Coffey.

“We love him and Ben [Pauling] likes him very much,” said Redknapp. “He has come up against some very good horses and he came up against Shishkin at Newbury.

“He ran a good race, we actually ended up favourite that day, and then Mister Coffey also beat us at Newbury.”

Redknapp, who has been involved with owning horses since he was in charge at Bournemouth, explained how the name came about.

“I used to have a guy that stood behind me when I was managing at West Ham and for 90 minutes he would shout at me ‘Shakem Up’arry’.

“I used to come home after every game and that’s all I could hear, so I thought to myself that when I get a horse I have to name it that.

“I had no choice but to get into racing,” he says. “I’d come home from school when I couldn’t read, and my nan would give me a pen to pick out a couple of horses for her.”

The meeting, which was due to take place on Saturday, has been rescheduled for next Sunday and trainer Pauling has been pleased with his form.

“He is in really good form, he has been in good form this season and Harry was good enough to let me go over and find a nice horse for him in Ireland.

“He was a very big horse with a jumping pedigree,” said Pauling. “It has been a really patient game with this lad and we are, in a funny way, still playing the patient game.

“We have kept him as a second season novice and he ran against some very good horses in his novices career.

“He is a chaser in the making and he has plenty to give as a hurdler for the rest of the season.”