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2026 Champion Chase

Pleased for Bowen.
They'd have formed a bukkake ring if Cobden had ridden that.

Hopefully Il Etait is ok
 
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IET not happy from the start, hope he's ok as the fall wasn't nice either,Thistle Ask showed he's up to this level, Jonbon...just great to see it, they'll all be knackered tomorrow thats for sure.
 
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IET was always struggling. Fair play Bon Jovi. I assume that's his Champion Chase ticket sorted again.
 
Doubt they’ll be going Ryanair with Jonbon after that
 
Looked to me like IET tried to duck out jumping the second last anyone else notice that? Was only watching on my phone, looked like he went wrong prior hence him falling was a very laboured fall!

Pleased for Jonbon but doesn’t change anything re march imo.
 
IET is out to 8/1 with Betfair if anyone fancies going in
 
Craigy14 said:
Looked to me like IET tried to duck out jumping the second last anyone else notice that? Was only watching on my phone, looked like he went wrong prior hence him falling was a very laboured fall!

Pleased for Jonbon but doesn’t change anything re march imo.
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It changes who the favourite is and after what happened would be a surprise to me to turn up at Cheltenham. May well target one of the other spring Festivals instead now.

Jonbon has a sporting chance in the Champion Chase, which he always did if showing up. Yet to finish outside the first two yet people continue to knock him. The Champion Chase is all about jumping and it comes down to who can put it all together on the day. That's not to say he is better than Marine Nationale but equally MN is not a superstar in my mind. One mistake and your chance of winning is gone. Jonbon is a contender and hopefully he can put it together one more time.
 
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….Henderson;

Fair play to him he has just been some star. He has finally lost the tag about being the most expensive horse. He is now the cheapest horse that JP has ever bought! The most important thing is JP just loves this horse.

“We talk three, four, five times a week and every single conversation starts, how is Jonbon.

“He gets beaten every now and then, and I would have been proud of third. I thought this was a day out and take it on the chin, but JP was adamant that we were always coming here.

“I did everything to persuade to go to the Silviniaco Conti. I even wanted to go to the Fleur de Lys tomorrow. I did everything to persuade him not to run him here. After that he is entitled to say where he goes at Cheltenham as I bow to him.

“He is in the Champion Chase and if you are not in it you can’t win it. You have got the Ryanair as well, which he might have other horses for. He probably hasn’t got any other two milers. Let us just see as today is today.”
 
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For me Jonbon struggles with the early pace at the festival, and he doesn't seem to enjoy himself as much when not bossing his opponents, but to be fair to him he stuck his head down today, and last year in the QMCC he did give it everything in the finish, a clear round and if he doesn't get himself too far off the pace he's as good a chance as any, last year it was his to lose so the burden of expectation was his, this year, I think people don't see him as a likely winner, but he'd be warmly welcomed if he managed it after so many good but not good enough runs at the festival, it'd complete the CV for him....of course they could just skip it altogether and go to Aintree a fresh horse.
 
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I might actually back him for the first time ever in March.
 
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EnvoiAlien said:
For me Jonbon struggles with the early pace at the festival, and he doesn't seem to enjoy himself as much when not bossing his opponents, but to be fair to him he stuck his head down today, and last year in the QMCC he did give it everything in the finish, a clear round and if he doesn't get himself too far off the pace he's as good a chance as any, last year it was his to lose so the burden of expectation was his, this year, I think people don't see him as a likely winner, but he'd be warmly welcomed if he managed it after so many good but not good enough runs at the festival, it'd complete the CV for him....of course they could just skip it altogether and go to Aintree a fresh horse.
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I’d be surprised if he skipped Cheltenham as he’s always runs there when fit and then gone to Aintree.
Maybe they will go QM, sounds like it’s more probable than possible after reading the trainers comments.
 
Well it'll be his last time there I reckon so, can only lose once on him in march.
 
Strange thing with Jonbon this season.

Rather than be cherry ripe from almost the off, he seems to have gradually got better with each run.

Previously they probably targeted the early season races with him, this season it just might be the other way round.

What a horse though.

Always got the 'Douvans brother' tag, but he's been a lot more reliable than Douvan. Ability counts for nothing if you don't turn up, and this lad just keeps turning up and still never outside the top 2, amazing!
 
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Carnage at Taunton said:
I’d be surprised if he skipped Cheltenham as he’s always runs there when fit and then gone to Aintree.
Maybe they will go QM, sounds like it’s more probable than possible after reading the trainers comments.
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True enough, I was just thinking today will have taken it out of all of them.
 
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ComplyOrDie said:
Strange thing with Jonbon this season.

Rather than be cherry ripe from almost the off, he seems to have gradually got better with each run.

Previously they probably targeted the early season races with him, this season it just might be the other way round.

What a horse though.

Always got the 'Douvans brother' tag, but he's been a lot more reliable than Douvan. Ability counts for nothing if you don't turn up, and this lad just keeps turning up and still never outside the top 2, amazing!
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I was wondering without mentioning it, was the wind op not the success they hoped for, as he seemed laboured since having it, but yeah maybe he was just being brought along a bit slower than usual (y)
 
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He's a reliable yardstick, and that's putting it mildly. Numerous races. Never worse than 2nd. 26 NH races. 19 wins. 7 seconds. That's phenomenal.

But, if you can't win at Cheltenham you're a busted flush. 7 runs at Cheltenham. 3 wins. 4 seconds. The criticism is because he has a poor Festival record, 0 from 3.

This sort of record with any other horse and your bordering on getting a statue planted somewhere, but probably not Cheltenham.

If anything, deserves to be at the Festival. Hope we see him in the Champion Chase.
 
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