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Second Shloer win for Jonbon

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

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. “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!”

Reaction from placed connections

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. 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.”

Charm looks rising star

Potters Charm made quite the impression with a runaway victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ five-year-old was second in his sole point-to-point start but has been unbeaten since under rules, taking a bumper and two hurdle events before lining up at Grade Two level.

He was sent off at 7/4 with Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle, as Dan Skelton’s Valgrand led the market as the 5/6 favourite following his facile success here when last seen.

But this time it was Potters Charm who left the field in his wake, powering to an 11-length win from the favourite in a display full of future promise for his syndicate of owners that includes former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Assistant trainer Willy Twiston-Davies said: “I felt a bit of a wally last time saying he’d win like that, but that is what we expect of him, he’s just very naturally talented.

“Sam just said he jumped a lot better again today, but what you have to remember is Valgrand jumps exceptionally well so his jumping had to sharpen up from last time going a faster pace. I’m sure he’ll get better again.

“For him to do that on that ground – I can’t wait to see what he does on ground with a bit of dig in it, which is what he wants. He quickens up really well on soft ground.

“I think we’ll let the dust settle, but I was talking to Sam and we’ll either go to the Challow Hurdle (Newbury) or maybe drop back to two (miles) on soft ground for the Tolworth (Formby at Aintree), we’ll just work back from the Festival and make sure we get him there in the best shape possible.”

He went on: “We’ve won a novice, won a novice here and now a Grade Two, he’s proved he’s a Festival horse. He doesn’t seem to have had the hardest race, but maybe that is his talent speaking.

“When you put a 140-rated horse away so easily like that you can’t help but be impressed. I feel a bit vindicated as he doesn’t show the most at home, but when he comes to the track he lights up. He’s come in and he’s not blowing.

“We’re very lucky to have a horse like this for these owners. They’ve had success with Dan and Paul (Nicholls) and now they’ve sent us two horses and both are nice.

“He’s shown a lot of speed there so I imagine he’s a Ballymore (Turners) horse. The Albert Bartlett can be a bit of a graveyard.”

David win Sweet for French team

French raider Sweet David was an emphatic winner of what was a dramatic renewal of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.

Gabriel Leenders’ five-year-old, who was ridden by Felix de Giles, was making his first start in Britain but is an experienced contender of cross-country races on home turf. Placed in a string of the specialist events at various French tracks, he was a 5/1 chance to make a success of things bringing his domestic form to British shores.

He travelled well and was ridden patiently throughout by De Giles, but gave connections a moment of real worry on the turn for home as he raced in mid-division.

Seamus Mullins’ Tommie Beau, who had been running a competitive race, misjudged the opening in the rail and careered off the track as Sweet David thought momentarily about following him.

De Giles managed to keep him on course, however, and while he did collide with a piece of railing shortly afterwards, he powered up the hill to triumph by six and a half lengths from Mister Coffey with Back On The Lash in third.

Leenders – who landed the Cleeve Hurdle in 2023 with Gold Tweet – said: “We can dream now. Yesterday we came into Cheltenham with the owners and had a look around. It was nice and a good experience for everybody.

“I think it is a good idea the cross country (at the Cheltenham Festival) is now a handicap because we don’t have a Grade One horse but in a handicap we have a chance. In March usually we wouldn’t have a chance because Gordon (Elliott) would be running his horse who is a Grade One horse.

“Today was the objective, he had to come ready for the English and Irish horses. Other horses might not have been ready, today might not have been their objective but mine was today. I don’t know the level he will need to be at in March, but he’s only a young horses so he is improving. He will probably have a race on the Flat before March. Now we are in a dream, after we will think.”

Micheal Nolan, the rider aboard Tommie Beau, received a 12-day suspension for taking the wrong course, which forced him to pull up his mount.

Jumping the name of the game for Hyland

Hyland jumped like the proverbial stag to claim the Mucking Brilliant Paddy Power Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s grey was ridden by Nico de Boinville and started as the 2/1 joint-favourite, with Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Springwell Bay the other market leader alongside him.

Hyland took up the lead early on and was foot-perfect at every fence, leading the field of four soundly around the three-mile-half-furlong trip and turning into the home straight still at the head of affairs.

He was not for catching as he climbed the hill and secured a half-length victory from Resplendent Grey, with Springwell Bay another four lengths behind in third.

Henderson said: “I had been thinking of running him in the old National Hunt Chase but it looks like that will be out of the window now. Jumping is his strong suit, and he must have this ground, he absolutely loves it. I must say they have done a fantastic job of it here, Nico came and walked it this morning to check it for Jonbon and he said it was beautiful.

“He’s one of those horses who keeps on surprising us. He doesn’t work like a very good horse but we might have to reassess where he fits in. While we are waiting for some softer ground for some of the others, he has been making hay, but it’s pointless making a plan for him simply because he must have good ground.

“He does jump exceptionally well. But if you remember, I couldn’t win a race over hurdles with Remittance Man for two years and when he went over fences, he was nigh on unbeatable. I’m not saying he’s going to be the same, but we always knew jumping would be his strong suit.

“If it does become a bog, we’ll keep him for something in the spring. He’s surprised us quite a bit and he’ll be forced into some pretty grown-up races now.”

Powerful start for Mulholland

Double Powerful extended his winning streak to six when taking the opening Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle.

Neil Mulholland’s chestnut got off the mark in March last year and has not looked back since, returning this season in October to land a Kelso event by eight lengths. Two more victories followed at Worcester and Fontwell, by 24 and 10 lengths respectively, and as a result the gelding had to shoulder a 7lb penalty under Dylan Johnston at Cheltenham.

The burden proved no hindrance, however, and he powered up the hill to prevail by half a length from Young Lucy as the 3/1 favourite.

Mulholland said: “I had people texting me all morning asking if I fancied him. I mean, he’d won his last five and was favourite! I kept it polite all morning. Fergal’s horse had won his last five too and in this world you’ll always meet somebody bigger and better than you one day, but he just keeps improving and answering the questions.

“We could have gone to Southwell for a lesser race and carried a lot more weight, but we took a chance and we were hopeful. Thankfully he did what we wanted and it’s great for the owners and the yard. Long-term you could be thinking of the conditionals’ race (Martin Pipe), but there’s a few bridges to cross between now and then. At least he handled the track so we’ll see what the handicapper does to him after this.

"We actually had Peltwell who won seven in a row, but if I was bothered about breaking my own record we wouldn’t have come here we’d have gone to Southwell! I can assure you I’d rather be here than trying to beat my own record, though.”

Wreckless winner

The Valda Energy Novices’ Handicap Hurdle then went the way of Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Wreckless Eric, who was a winner at 11/2 under Kielan Woods.

The chestnut looked to be going promisingly before falling on his stable debut, but made no such mistake this time when finishing strongly to claim a one-length victory from 50/1 chance Cavern Club.

Co-trainer Jonjo O’Neill said: “We’ve had a good week and any Cheltenham winner is always nice.

“He was unlucky at Wincanton when he fell, he might have won, we think he might have anyway, and it suited him here today, he liked the hill and jumped really well.

“He loves good ground and we’re very happy with him. We don’t know that he doesn’t go on soft, I don’t know, but he likes good ground and they normally don’t go on everything, do they – although they say good horses do!

“I don’t know where he can go, I hope he’ll improve and he’s a young horse, so he should do. He might get further but as for now, we’ll keep him where he is until he gets beaten.”

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