Celebration Chase: Jonbon rewards Nicky Henderson's gutsy call with Grade One victory at Sandown
Jonbon (8/13 favourite) beat Captain Guinness and Greaneteen to win Grade One bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown on Saturday; winner cut to 4/1 for next year's Champion Chase at Cheltenham; Nicky Henderson: "I think that makes a man of him"
Saturday 29 April 2023 15:01, UK
Jonbon proved a point for Nicky Henderson, taking on and beating senior rivals over two miles in the bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown.
Sent off the 8/13 favourite for the Grade One feature, Aidan Coleman's mount, who was runner-up in the Arkle Challenge Trophy to El Fabiolo, had bounced back to score at Aintree on his previous start.
It was something of a surprise Henderson decided to run him again, given his busy back-end to the season, and in open company.
- Prix Ganay preview: Stoute seeks Paris glory with Bay Bridge
- Sunday racing tips: Tim Carroll's FWD Champions Day selections
It was not all plain sailing for the brother of Douvan, however. Having led early against his four rivals, he made two jumping errors and was briefly shuffled back to last.
Coleman gave him plenty of time to get his act together and he was soon on the bridle again, and was back in contention by the Pond Fence, where Captain Guinness and Rachael Blackmore had asserted.
Beating off Greaneteen, who had won this race for the past two years, the pair had it to themselves over the last two fences, but Jonbon's stamina kicked in, and a superb jump at the last sealed the deal for the three-and-three-quarter-length winner.
Jonbon was cut to 4/1 from 6/1 with Coral for next season's Ryanair Chase and 6/1 (from 10s) for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Henderson said: "It was brave (running him). I've been in Punchestown all week and the boys have been getting this fellow ready - Paddy (Murphy) who rides him every day, and Charlie (Morlock), who is my right-hand man, I've been talking to them every day and there was just no reason not to run him.
"It is very un-Henderson like sort of tactics. There was no reason I could find. I was talking to JP (McManus) for three days and he said you have got to earn your corn as you are the trainer. That was my final deciding ball, that if we take these two-milers on we will meet next season - and cope with them - then we can start thinking of theTingle Creek and things like that next season.
"That (mistake down the back) was the only thing that was probably novicey about him today. It was one where he didn't know which way to go. He had been very long at the ditch and he just didn't quite make his mind up.
"To come back from that as a novice, I think that makes a man of him. Three fences later he is back on the bridle as if nothing had happened but something had happened, something quite significant in fact had happened.
"A lot of horses would have dropped themselves out after that mistake, but I think that is testament to his engine."
