Paddy Power has paid out on Jonbon for next year’s Sporting Life Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after seeing a couple of videos of the Supreme runner-up and Top Novices’ Hurdle winner at Aintree schooling fairly well ahead of his chasing debut next week.
Mick Fitzgerald posted a video on twitter of Jonbon “floating up the gallop”, while Paddy’s traders were even more impressed by a video from David Crosse of him jumping three fences behind the likes of Caribean Boy and Shishkin.
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: “Sometimes bookies love to overreact in their Cheltenham markets, but we couldn’t possibly be accused of such misdemeanours if racing fans watch these videos.
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“It was nigh on impossible not to PAY OUT on Jonbon winning the Arkle after he floated and jumped those obstacles pretty well, in our opinion, ahead of his eagerly awaited chasing bow.”
Jonbon finished second behind stablemate Constitution Hill in the Supreme back in March before landing the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree a few weeks later.
The JP McManus-owned six-year-old is set to make his chasing debut at Exeter on Monday with 2019 Triumph Hurdle winner Pentland Hills among the other entries for the RGB Building Supplies Adier Rayner Novices' Chase.
Jonbon remains the ante-post favourite for the Arkle and is 7/2 generally for the Grade One contest.
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