The Jukebox Man will not run in the Punchestown Gold Cup. Trainer Ben Pauling confirmed to Racing TV that the King George VI Chase winner has a foot infection and has missed two pieces of work as a result. Pauling was direct: "The Jukebox Man is not going to go. He got puss in a foot last week and we have missed another two pieces of work, which is a real frustration. We have had to fit in the wind operation and all the rest of it, so we were needing those pieces of work, so he won't be going to Punchestown sadly."
His absence removes one of the key British challengers from Wednesday's Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup at 6:05pm. The race still carries 11 entries — all but one trained by either Willie Mullins or Henry de Bromhead. Here is the full picture.
The 11 Entries
Willie Mullins has five of the 11 — Gaelic Warrior, Grangeclare West, Il Etait Temps, Nick Rockett and Fact To File. Henry de Bromhead has Jungle Boogie and Monty's Star. The remaining entries are Gentlemansgame (Mick Morris), Senecia (Vincent Halley) and Spillane's Tower (JJ Mangan).
Read Horse Racing's preview published this week was specific about the field size: "The Punchestown Gold Cup has only attracted 14 entries and it would be surprising if even half of them were declared to run." With The Jukebox Man now out, the likelihood of a small declared field has increased further.
Gaelic Warrior — The Market Leader
Gaelic Warrior won the Cheltenham Gold Cup by eight lengths in March. He is Willie Mullins's primary representative in the Gold Cup market and heads the betting. The Cheltenham-Punchestown Gold Cup double has been achieved by the sport's best staying chasers — completing it would be a significant landmark for the Mullins stable.
Fact To File — The Freshest Horse
Fact To File has not run since the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, where he beat Gaelic Warrior by five lengths. He was entered for the Cheltenham Ryanair Chase but missed it due to quick ground on the Thursday of the Festival. He arrives at Punchestown having had more rest than any other serious Gold Cup contender — approximately ten weeks since his last race.
Read Horse Racing's assessment is clear: "It's looking like a straight shootout between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File and given last year's numbers, they may not be joined by that many more rivals."
Nick Rockett and Grangeclare West — The Wildcard Entries
Nick Rockett won the 2025 Grand National. He missed the 2026 renewal having had just one start since last April. A potential reappearance in the Gold Cup would be his first run since early in the season. Grangeclare West unseated at fence 1 in last Saturday's Grand National. Both are possible runners but their participation depends on fitness assessments in the coming days.
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Facts verified via web search April 24 2026. Sources: Racing Ahead Magazine Jukebox Man withdrawal, GG.co.uk Gold Cup entries, Read Horse Racing Gold Cup preview, Punchestown official entry list.