Jonbon: Nicky Henderson sets sights on Melling Chase with Champion Chase runner-up
Jonbon will target a trip to Aintree after coming up short in the Queen Mother Champion Chase; Nicky Henderson's star, a nine-time Grade One winner, looks set to take his chance in the Melling Chase on April 4
Saturday 15 March 2025 15:47, UK
Nicky Henderson expects to run Jonbon next at Aintree after his Festival defeat.
The nine-year-old was one of four odds-on big-race favourites beaten at Cheltenham, in his case the Queen Mother Champion Chase, although he ran a gallant race in taking second after problems at the start and a juddering mistake at the fifth-last.
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The My Pension Expert Melling Chase over two and a half miles on April 4 will now be his port of call at the Grand National meeting.
"It wasn't so much the mistake itself going down the back, it was the start and that really got us into the wrong position from the word go," said the Seven Barrows handler.
"That was frustrating, to be honest with you, but there you go. He got behind early on and he just loves to be up there attacking and he just couldn't get there from where he was.
"He's fine, he's got to go again and I think he would go to Aintree. Two and a half miles certainly isn't a worry. I'd have thought that's where we'd go, and he loves Sandown.
"I suppose everyone will go back to 'he doesn't like Cheltenham'. It's got nothing to do with it, he's perfectly happy around Cheltenham, he just doesn't get any luck there.
"A bit further wouldn't hurt him, so we've got that to come at Aintree."
On the opening day of Cheltenham, Henderson had endured defeat for his other stable star, Constitution Hill, who left Prestbury Park in shock when he crashed out in the Champion Hurdle.
A trip to Punchestown on May 2 remains on the table for him.
Henderson said: "He's going to have to just go back to school for a moment, but that's not a problem. We'll do that and think about what we do next. He'll run again, where we'll go I'm not quite sure, but I'd have thought Punchestown is most likely.
"It's the most obvious thing to do, the one thing you have to be careful of in May is the ground is the worry, but I'm sure they'll do a good job there. I'd have thought all going well that will be the plan."
