Tag Archive for: Shloer Chase

Businesslike Jonbon makes it back-to-back Shloer Chase victories

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Jonbon knuckled down when it mattered to claim a neat success and retain his title in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s 1-3 favourite was returning to action after signing out on a high last term, following a season in which he was beaten only once in five runs.

Twelve months ago, he started his campaign with a nine-and-a-half-length victory in this race, so naturally he was at cramped odds under Nico de Boinville with only three rivals to beat.

He made the running and enjoyed a smooth passage around Prestbury Park ahead of an ultimately assured victory from Harry Fry’s Boothill, who did seem a touch short of room on the rail as both he and Edwardstone ensured Jonbon knew he had been in a race.

“I think his jumping was as good as I’ve ever seen, which is great,” said Henderson.

Jonbon en route to Shloer Chase success
Jonbon en route to Shloer Chase success (Nigel French/PA)

“He looks to have really enjoyed himself, I suspect he’ll tell me (De Boinville) that he had a good blow between the last two, I’d expect him to.

“We’ve got a few weeks to the Tingle Creek and that would be the perfect prep, I’d say, but it’s not a prep, it’s a race we want to win!

“That was ideal. I thought he looked awfully big in the pre-parade ring but it’s funny when you see them here and you’re used to looking at them at home.

“That was great, it’s a job done. It’s just a lovely race for him and it takes us on to where we’re trying to go.

“You won’t see a better round of jumping, he could make the odd mistake but he was foot-perfect there.

“You could go short, you could go long. If you asked him a question, you got the answer, that was really good.”

On future plans and the decision to stick at two miles, Henderson added: “Like a lot of these horses, as they get older, they’re almost certain to get a bit further. He did at Aintree, that was two and a half miles, that was no problem.

“Of course, he’ll get further but we said at the start of the season, we are a two-miler and we’ll stay at two miles.

“You’ve got to be positive about where you’re going to go, we haven’t made any other entries for him. It will be the Tingle Creek, all being well, then the Clarence House and the normal route I suspect. I’d be surprised if we vary it.”

Winning owner JP McManus added: “I’m pleased he won. What can I say, I’m just delighted with him.

“He jumped well and it’s only his first run of the season, I just felt he was keeping a bit for himself, he just does enough now. They last longer if they do that.

“For me, I would always stay at two miles until they tell me they need further, fingers crossed.

“He’s calmer, he’s like the rest of us, getting older!”

Boothill also has the Tingle Creek in his sights after a pleasing run, with Fry saying: “We came here and I said to Bryan (Carver) ‘just see how we are turning in’.

“He won the handicap at Ascot next Saturday for the last two runnings but I think we can safely say we won’t be going there now.

“He’s run a great race, one horse has beaten us but he deserves to go and take his chance in all the good Grade One chases.

“We were beaten a length and a half, I’m sure the first and third will come on as well.

The November Meeting – Countryside Day – Cheltenham Racecourse
Jonbon and winning connections (Nigel French/PA).

“Another race, another day, we look forward to the rematch. He’s a wonderful horse and he’s given us some lovely days, we can look forward to running in the top two-mile chases.”

King was also pleased with his runner’s effort and he too has the Tingle Creek in mind for Edwardstone’s next outing.

“As he gets older, it’s a little bit harder to get the weight off him, I think he’s run a grand race,” the trainer said.

“We’ve left a bit of work on him and no doubt Nicky’s was the same, I would have thought we’d go and take him on in the Tingle Creek.

“It’s probably pointless because it’s 4-0 I think, but there’s a lot of money at stake.

“I’m very satisfied, Boothill was getting a couple of pounds and he wasn’t far behind us on level weights at Sandown. I think he’s run his race.”

De Boinville taking nothing for granted with Jonbon

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Big-race jockey Nico de Boinville still feels Jonbon will need to be on his “A-game” to make a winning return in Friday’s Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, despite what will be his prohibitive starting price.

The eight-year-old has won nine of his 11 races over fences – and 14 from 17 career starts overall under rules – and added a first Cheltenham win to his CV in this race 12 months ago, beating Edwardstone by almost 10 lengths.

He was beaten on his return to the Cotswolds in the rearranged Clarence House Chase and missed the Queen Mother at the Festival due to Nicky Henderson’s well-documented problems with his string at the time. He did, however, end the campaign in scintillating fashion, winning at Aintree and Sandown where he had El Fabiolo, his Arkle conqueror, behind him.

Only three take him on, with old rival Edwardstone (Alan King) joined by Boothill (Harry Fry) and Grand Annual winner Unexpected Party Dan Skelton).

“We’ve locked horns with Edwardstone a few times and have come out on top on each occasion, including in this race last season,” De Boinville told Unibet.

“You obviously have to respect Alan’s horse, and Boothill is a class act in his own right, but we are very happy with our horse at home. But Edwardstone is a three-time Grade One winner, so we have to be on our A-game if he is on his.”

Frank Berry, owner JP McManus’ racing manager, said: “We’re looking forward to getting him out, Nicky is happy with him and hopefully they’ll have a nice job done on the ground.

“He finished off having a great year last season and it will be nice to see him back.”

Edwardstone was good in winning the Game Spirit last year
Edwardstone was good in winning the Game Spirit last year (Adam Davy/PA)

Edwardstone will turn 11 soon and was unable to take advantage of Jonbon not running and El Fabiolo disappointing in the Champion Chase when he took a tired fall two out when beaten. His rider Tom Cannon is hoping better ground will suit.

“Him and Jonbon are old rivals now. I’ve had a sit on him and he’s very fresh and very well,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“We couldn’t do any more with him at home at this stage. It’s 3-0 to Jonbon at the moment, but hopefully better ground might suit us.

“It’s his first run of the season so you never really know where they are, and Jonbon could be in that category as well.”

He went on: “I’ve always thought he’s probably a marginally better horse on better ground. If it was too quick at this stage of the season no one really wants to take the risk but if they’ve put enough water on, good ground is definitely in our favour.

“Having said all that, it is probably in Jonbon’s favour as well! So we’re going their with conditions in our favour, but there’s no reason it won’t suit Jonbon as well.

“You don’t want any misfortune to happen anywhere, but if they don’t quite fire on the day and we do – there’s only fine margins in those sort of races and that is all it takes. If we perform to our level and he slightly underperforms, or vice versa, a lot can be different each time.

“If they both get there and perform to their best it should be a good race.”

Fry is well aware of the task facing Boothill but believes he deserves his place in the field.

He said: “We know on ratings we have a bit to find with Jonbon and then Edwardstone, but we get a couple of pounds from both which is a help.

“He was last seen finishing fourth behind them both in the Celebration Chase and he deserves to take his chance. They all have to turn up and perform on the day and you never know what will happen, but he’s definitely good enough to be there and we’re looking forward to getting his season under way.”

Jonbon back in action in ‘competitive’ Shloer Chase

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Jonbon is looking to book his ticket for the Tingle Creek by getting his season off to the perfect possible start in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday.

Only beaten twice in his life, both those defeats have come at Cheltenham but he has lost little in either race.

As yet, no horse has been able to live with his Nicky Henderson-trained stablemate Constitution Hill, so he is forgiven for coming second in the 2022 Supreme, while his trainer feels he was not quite at his best in the Arkle in March behind El Fabiolo.

That view was supported given he went on to win at Aintree and Sandown, latterly versus his elders, but he faces far from a penalty kick against Edwardstone and Nube Negra.

Nicky Henderson has high hopes for Jonbon this season
Nicky Henderson has high hopes for Jonbon this season (David Davies/PA)

Henderson said: “I’m looking forward to the race within reason, well as much as you ever do.

“He’s done plenty but with Edwardstone and Nube Negra, it’s a good competitive opener for the season.

“He proved over two miles (what he can do) and I was always wanting to go two and a half. We’re going to have to ask the same question again on Sunday. Does he want two and a half? We’ll ask the question again anyway.”

Nube Negra has won this race for the last two years but on quicker ground. He is, undoubtedly though, at his best on his first run of the season.

“Statistics show Nube Negra is very good first time out. I can’t deny that, he’s trying to be a three-time winner of the Shloer and that would be phenomenal,” said Dan Skelton.

“There is every right to be proud of what he is doing rather than saying ‘down the road he gets beaten in the Champion Chase’. Of course, we’d love to win that but I’m proud of what he can do, not what he hasn’t.

“This has been his big aim and he’s very ready.”

Nube Negra is at his best first time out
Nube Negra is at his best first time out (David Davies/PA)

Edwardstone returns to the scene of where he ran so poorly in March but Alan King’s charge had a solid record before that.

Jockey Tom Cannon said: “He was struggling down the back with me in the Champion Chase, as he normally takes you into a race very easily.

“I knew at the top of the hill that I had to ask a few questions of his jumping down the back, and he responded, but I used my petrol up earlier than I liked.

“Once we jumped three out and turned in, I wasn’t holding on to a lot of horse, which I think was there for everyone to see, really.

“That wasn’t Edwardstone at his best, but we should see a different side to him at the weekend.”

The field is completed by Gary Moore’s Editeur Du Gite.

Nemean Lion backed to roar again in Greatwood Hurdle

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Kerry Lee is respectful of the opposition as Nemean Lion remains on track for the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham but reports her charge in fine spirits.

The six-year-old is among the favourites and a 6-1 chance with the sponsors for the prestigious handicap, having backed up some smart novice hurdles form with a win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on his reappearance.

That victory means Nemean Lion will have to carry top-weight at Prestbury Park but although his handler is not one for bullish predictions, she has been delighted with her charge since his return to action last month.

Lee said: “He’s been amazing, really good. I think he had a harder run than we first thought (at Ffos Las), but he has bounced back well and I’ve been really happy with his work the last week and fingers crossed he can continue to improve and progress.

“I will never say I’m confident and we always go with hope rather than confidence. The Kelso form is there to be respected, but there is lots of other good horses in the race with decent form as well themselves.

“It’s a hot race and there is no way you can go into it with any confidence and expectation, we’ll just go there, give it a crack and hope for the best.”

Knickerbockerglory is a possible runner in the Greatwood Hurdle
Knickerbockerglory is a possible runner in the Greatwood Hurdle (Simon Marper/PA)

Nemean Lion is one of 18 confirmed for Sunday’s contest, with Dan Skelton’s recent Ascot winner Knickerbockerglory and stablemate L’Eau Du Sud, as well as Nicky Henderson’s Luccia, among those towards the head of the sponsor’s betting.

Unibet have Irish raider Onlyamatteroftime as their market leader, with the seven-year-old set to make his first start for Willie Mullins, while recent track-and-trip winner Lookaway and last year’s runner-up Gin Coco are other notable names among the list of possibles.

Jonbon is the headline attraction in the supporting Shloer Chase, which has attracted a maximum field of six.

Nicky Henderson’s star chaser stepped out of novice company to win Sandown’s Celebration Chase in the spring but could face a sterner examination here, with former Arkle winner Edwardstone and fellow 2022 Cheltenham Festival scorer Banbridge both joining defending champion Nube Negra among the potential runners.

Gary Moore’s Clarence House Chase winner Editeur Du Gite and Henry de Bromhead’s recent track-and-trip victor Dancing On My Own complete the entries.