“The good ones find a way,” Dan Skelton said after winning the Henry VIII Novice Chase with L’Eau Du Sud, and on a demanding afternoon with the last gusts of Storm Darragh whipping across the track, it might also have applied to Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, who overcame a sketchy jump at the second to join the elite list of two-milers with two wins in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase to their name.
It was the only significant moment of concern for Jonbon’s supporters, who sent him off at 8-13, and the favourite was much more polished over the remaining obstacles, including a foot-perfect trio of jumps at the Railway fences at the end of the back straight. Nico de Boinville’s mount then surged into a clear lead between the final two and had eight lengths to spare over Quilixios, a former winner of the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham’s festival meeting, at the line.
Flagship Uberalles, the 2002 Champion Chase winner at Cheltenham, is the only horse ever to have won the Tingle Creek three times. Jonbon, who is still only eight years old, joins a list of dual winners that includes Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star and Master Minded.
It is rarefied company, and while Jonbon has yet to add a Champion Chase to his record – he was ruled out of last season’s race a few hours beforehand with Henderson’s stable under a cloud – he is now clear favourite for this season’s contest on 12 March at a top price of 11-4.
Lingfield: 12.30 Full Confession 1.00 Robins Field 1.30 Northern Air 2.00 Kado De Joie 2.30 Shot Boii 3.00 King William Rufus 3.30 Bushypark.
Musselburgh: 12.45 You Some Girl 1.15 Jet To Vegas 1.45 No No Fizz 2.15 Monochromix 2.45 National Question 3.15 Return Fire.
Newcastle: 3.22 Unique Spirit 3.55 Rainbow Rain 4.30 Dc Cogent 5.00 Ingra Tor (nap) 5.30 Indalo 6.00 Drumstick 6.30 Volenti 7.00 Homer Stokes 7.30 William Dewhirst.
Wolverhampton: 4.15 Lewis Barnes 4.45 Dashing Harry 5.15 Zandita 5.45 Lattaash 6.15 Coolagh Magic 6.45 Kracking (nb) 7.15 Fitz Perfectly 7.45 Khangai 8.15 Alfheim.
That makes him one of very few British-trained horses to head the betting for a Grade One at next year’s festival, although Energumene, the champion two-miler in 2022 and 2023, could conceivably join or even displace him with an encouraging performance when he runs for the first time in 593 days at Cork on Sunday.
For now, though, Jonbon is a clear standard-bearer for British jumping, boasting a hugely impressive career record of 16 wins from 19 starts and a perfect five-from-five record at Sandown.
“That first ditch [the second fence], he’s jumped it so many times, you’d think he’d know that there isn’t a crocodile in there,” Henderson said. “But today, there was for him.
“He was up for a battle today. He wanted the battle even earlier than Nico wanted it. He is just a real true terrier, a very classy terrier, he just loves a scrap and wants to go faster the whole way.
“The plan would be now to go to the Clarence House [at Ascot in January] and hopefully we will then finally get to fight whoever they are going to send over to fight us [from Ireland].
“He is right up there [with previous star two-milers from the yard] and he’s at the top of his game.”
L’Eau Du Sud is also prominent in the festival betting – at 7-1 second-favourite for the two-mile Arkle Trophy on 11 March – and remains unbeaten over fences after a convincing win in the British season’s first Grade One novice chase.
“I think he just got quite stuck in the ground,” Skelton said. “It’s hard work out there and there was an unanswered question as he’s never been in the position where he’s had to fight.
“He was untidy at the last two but the good ones find a way. It might not look great, it might be scrappy, but they find a way.”
