Following first day successes for the mighty Constitution Hill and the back-to-form Shishkin, another of Nicky Henderson's big guns, Jonbon strolled to victory in the opener on Randox Grand National day at Aintree Racecourse.
The seven-year-old, under Nico De Boinville, bounced back from his first defeat over fences to El Fabiolo in the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival to win the the Grade One EFT Systems Maghull Novices’ Chase. Having won three times before his trip to Prestbury Park at Warwick twice and Sandown, Jonbon had no answer to Willie Mullins' talented El Fabiolo over the minimum distance. But with that rival staying at home in Ireland and just three rivals lining up, the JP McManus-owned gelding – sent off the warm 1-3 favourite, resumed winning ways comfortably at Aintree. Always travelling well and jumping to perfection off the pace set Marvel De Cerisy (15-2) and Rachael Blackmore, Jonbon came through to lead midway through the race. Under Aidan Coleman he quickly put distance between himself and his rivals. And despite Calico trying to make a challenge he never got near. Jonbon jumped the last with a healthy lead as Calico took a crashing fall. Jonbon scored by a massive 43 lengths from Marvel De Cerisy.
Connections were looking at stepping up in trip after his defeat at Cheltenham but this dominant display means their options are open and he could still stay at two miles next season.
Henderson said: "He was good today, wasn't he? The ground has probably dried out a bit since yesterday and he does love that good ground. That is the way he jumps when he's right. He jumped from fence to fence today and didn't jump from fence to fence at Cheltenham. Whether it was just the better ground today, I don't know.
"I was thinking we'd come here and run over two and a half miles, but we knew Dysart Dynamo and El Fabiolo weren't going here and JP (McManus, owner) said a couple of weeks ago 'what is actually going to run in the two-mile race'? He was absolutely right. Aidan said on good ground he feels like a two-miler. I've always thought he'd go as far as you like, but we'll see – we don't have to make any decisions today."
Henderson all but ruled out Jonbon to run again this season but didn't complete say a trip to either the Punchestown or Sandown would be out of the questio. The Seven Barrows handler added: "I very much doubt it, but I won't rule anything out. I know he didn't win the Arkle, but he's had a very good first season over fences."
Coleman also believes the drying conditions helped Jonbon back to his best. He said: "I just didn't really kind of get out of the ground in the Arkle but we're more or less the top of the ground now, so it's lovely for him and the slow side of good.
"He was much more at home and he really jumps better off it because he's a low, neat jumper and I think he just got a bit stuck on that tacky ground at Cheltenham. He still ran very well obviously and he's had a great career so far, so onwards and upwards. I think he could still go up in trip and there's lots of options for him. I'd say two miles on that ground and riding him aggressively or forward is something he's a fan of, but with the way he relaxes and jumps, I'd say you can do anything you want with him."
Henry De Bromhead, trainer of the runner-up Marvel De Cerisy, said: “He was probably not himself today and he didn’t jump as well as he can. Maybe everything caught up with him, but we tried to make a race of it early on. The winner is a very good horse but I’m delighted to finish second. He just looked like he didn’t get home over two and a half on that ground at Cheltenham, but on this ground he probably would. We can run him between two and two and a half miles. We will give him a break now and get him back in near the end of the summer as there are some nice races for him then.”
Dan Skelton's West Balbao (9-2 favourite) ran out an impressive winner of the Village Hotels Handicap Hurdle. And the trainer believes the step back up to graded company is well within her grasp next season.
Under the trainer's brother Harry Skelton the seven-year-old, who had also won the Lanzarote Hurdle earlier in the season, was always travelling well off the pace set by Outlaw Peter. Once she brought through to challenge on the rail by jockey Skelton coming to the final flight, he quickly moved to the front and ran out a comfortable five-length win over Pounding Poet (50-1) with Mill Green a neck back in third and Cheltenham Festival winner Good Time Johnny (11-2) a further three-quarters-of-a-length back in third.
Winning trainer Skelton said: “We’ve ridden our bad luck, to be honest with you, all meeting. We’ve had a few fallers and nothing’s gone well, but that is the nature of sport. You’ve got to keep your head up and keep going. But you’re in a lucky position when you’ve got a big team; you’ve always got a horse to run. She was a fresh horse – that counts for an awful lot. She looked fabulous, the step up to three miles was always going to be a positive, and we always knew we had a very good mare on our hands. The Lanzarote proved that. Going back to when she was second to Stage Star in the Challow – only a good horse could have done that. We felt that this year could maybe be an intermediate year before you step up to the Graded mares’ level, and she looks like she is more than capable of doing so.
“The mares’ hurdle at Cheltenham this year was so, so strong – there was no point competing in that to be sixth. I think next year she could step up and be a player in all those races, but know when to hold your hand and when to play it, and I wasn’t going to overplay this year. The Lanzarote was £100,000; this was a valuable, important race today. She’s had a fabulous year and she’ll step up on it.”
Jockey Harry Skelton added: “She was a jockeys dream to be honest as she was running away with me everywhere. It was just a matter of keeping her covered up. I had the horse then to basically go where I wanted and the gaps just opened up. She has had three runs this year and it is great planning by Dan. She won the Lanzarote and the owners were very keen to know where we were going and he said you will have to be patient as we are going to Aintree next so it was a long old wait. We are lucky to be in a good position and the mare is going the right way.
“I always thought she would get the trip as she has plenty of stamina about her in her pedigree. Bridget (Andrews, wife) would have told me off if I got beat as she probably did a better job the last day on her when she won.”
Toni James, owner of runner-up Pounding Poet, said: “That was fantastic. He had a break to freshen up and was always being aimed here. We hoped he might win, but second is great. That might be it for him over hurdles. He’s going chasing and we are very excited about that.”
Nicky Henderson, trainer of the third-placed Mill Green, added: “He doesn’t know how to run a bad race. It’s amazing, he’s now finished third in consecutive renewals of this race and the Pertemps! I’d have thought we’ll give him a rest now, there’s nothing left after this now. He’s a homebred and it’s lovely, he’s been an absolute star and hasn’t missed a dance.”
Irish Point (5-1) won the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle as Irish trainer Gordon Elliott took the Grade One contest for a second year in a row.
Elliott and jockey Davy Russell scored last year with Three Stripe Life last year and they back in the winner's enclosure for a second year in a row with Irish Point. The five-year-old gelded son of Joshua Tree followed up his victory in a Grade Three two-mile contest at Naas last month with another success on Merseyside. Jockey Russell is going out on a high with a second Grade One success of the meeting following Gerri Colombe's win on Ladies Day. And under the two-time Grand National-winning jockey Irish Point sat just off the lead for much of the way before coming through to join in two flights from home. Irish Point quickly moved clear and went on to score by three-and-a-half lengths from the Dan Skelton-trained Kateira (14-1), with 3-1 favourite Hermes Allen a further two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length back in third.
Elliott said: "We decided we'd miss Cheltenham and come here fresh and it worked out well. He travelled well the whole way and everything was great. He's a nice horse. He could go chasing next season or he could stay over hurdles. He likes soft ground and there's a lot of prize-money to be won with him in Ireland (over hurdles). It's brilliant for Davy. He's after getting two Grade Ones this week now and as I've said we're nearly at the end of him. He deserved a good send-off and he's getting it now."
Russell, who looks to be ending his successful career on a high, said: "I left out my wife yesterday (after winning on Gerri Colombe), but she was actually very upset after Cheltenham. Her dad passed away recently, the whole thing caught up with her and she stressed to me that I needed to get back in and not finish on the note that I finished on.
"Obviously Gordon jumped in as well and between the two of them they made it very comfortable for me to go ahead and do it. I was happy enough to finish after Cheltenham - I'm big enough to accept it. I'm lucky I can go back through the years and remember them, but now this really does put a shine on the trophy."
Of Irish Point, he added: He could be anything. All along I thought he was immature, but today he just seemed to have come of age. He does stay well and jumps fantastic. He could go chasing or he could stay over hurdles. I think a summer's grass, bring him back in and see what happens. It is great to be here and big winners are hard to come by, so we like to enjoy them while they are here. I don't want to say this is my last day riding and then come back for a third time, but I'm enjoying it, anyway. It's great, you have to take it all in. Aintree is very special. It is a special place. I just hope the people of Liverpool and the people of England realise what they have here. You can't get this anywhere else in the world, it is very special."
Sire Du Berlais (8-1) toughed it out to defend his title in the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle. The admirable JP McManus-owned gelding completed the Cheltenham-Aintree double for Gordon Elliott and Mark Walsh after taking the equivalent contest at the Festival in March. Despite being in the rear for much of the race, he came through to just grab victory late on beating Marie's Rock (5-1) by three-and-a-quarter lengths, with the frontrunning Flooring Porter (3-1 favourite) another six-and-a-half-lengths back in third.
