El Fabiolo (11/10 favourite) beat Jonbon and Saint Roi to win Sporting Life Arkle Novices' Chase at Cheltenham Festival; Dysart Dynamo unhurt after heavy fall at the last fence; victory is Paul Townend's 24th Cheltenham Festival victory
Tuesday 14 March 2023 15:00, UK
El Fabiolo proved too strong for old rival Jonbon to win a fifth Sporting Life Arkle Novices' Chase in nine years for trainer Willie Mullins.
Only a neck had separated the pair in an epic Grade One duel at Aintree last April and the rematch had been highly-anticipated between the leading two-mile novice chasers from either side of the Irish Sea.
Jonbon had got the better of El Fabiolo in their last meeting but it was Mullins' star who was the pick of punters, sent off 11/10 favourite after landing the Irish Arkle last month.
Stablemate Dysart Dynamo set the pace in his typically enthusiastic style under Danny Mullins and joined Jonbon and El Fabiolo in a line of three at the second-last fence.
Paul Townend, who had been beaten on favourite Facile Vega in the Supreme half an hour earlier, went on as Jonbon struggled to pick up, with Dysart Dynamo suffering a heavy fall at the last.
El Fabiolo eventually ran out a five-and-a-half length winner, with Mullins also picking up third spot through Saint Roi.
Mullins said: "He travelled as well as I was hoping the whole way. Paul said he hit a flat spot down the back but then when he picked him up, he came alive under him.
"It's good to get on the board early in the day. It was a bit of a worry at the last but I thought, all being well, it looked like he had enough in reserve at that stage.
"He has a habit of brushing through the top of his fences but it is not something we are practising! Like a lot of French horses, he can find a fifth leg due to all the schooling they do early in their careers.
"I'm not looking to up him in trip yet, I always think if a horse is comfortable at two miles they are easier to train and keep sound, so I'm hoping he's a Champion Chase horse for next year."
Townend added: "I was half afraid Danny (Mullins, on Dysart Dynamo) was getting a bit of a freebie at one stage and Danny is very dangerous from the front. At the same time Dysart likes to get on with it and wasn't giving Danny an easy time.
"The ground is testing and it's taking a bit of getting. When I was left on my own I got a little idle down the back, but when I wanted him to race he came alive for me.
"He's not the most natural of jumpers at every fence, but he knows where his feet are and he gets away with it.
"He was brave to go down the inner at two out and there wasn't a whole lot there at the last, but again he found his feet at the back of it and he galloped to the top of that hill on the ground, which is a good sign."
