Fan favourite Jonbon backed to win the Arkle after victory on chasing debut

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Jonbon built up quite the fanbase in the 2021-22 National Hunt racing season, winning on his debut over hurdles by six lengths at Newbury 12 months ago — following that up with two Group 2 successes in Novices’ Hurdles at Ascot and Haydock in December and January respectively.

All roads then led to the Cheltenham Festival, where the Nicky Henderson-trained horse would take on his Seven Burrows stablemate Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Coming in behind joint-leaders Constitution Hill and Dysart Dynamo in the horse racing odds, Jonbon was heavily backed at 5/1. But he was left in the wake of his stable companion, finishing 22 lengths adrift as Constitution Hill set a new record time for the two-mile, half-a-furlong race.

The now six-year-old returned to winning ways on his last outing of the season, beating El Fabiolo over the line in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National Festival to win his maiden Group 1 contest by a neck.

It was confirmed by Henderson before that trip to Merseyside that legendary owner JP McManus’ record purchase — costing the former Manchester United stakeholder a massive £570,000 at the sales in 2020 — would go Novice Chasing this campaign, and Jonbon has thrilled his large supporter’s group and scared the bookmakers with his debut over fences at Warwick on November 16.

In fact, those who backed Jonbon in the racing tips to win the Arkle at March’s Festival at very lucrative odds were treated to an early payout — as Paddy Power counted their losses before the six-year-old even jumped a fence competitively, paying out on singles after a video of Jonbon schooling incredibly well circulated on social media.

And, he performed as well as anyone would have expected on his debut at Warwick — jumping admirably and making all the running in the two-mile race, going clear three out and being pushed along on the run-in to an impressive seven-length victory over the Paul Nicholls-trained Monmiral.

That Novices’ Chase in the West Midlands is often a good indicator for the Arkle, with Edwardstone winning the same race last year before landing a victory at the Festival, and as a result of his success at Warwick, Jonbon is now as short as 2/1 for the two-mile contest — a far cry from the 10/1 ante-post odds on offer when it was first announced he would go chasing this year.

“It was always going to be his game but he was a very high-class hurdler last year and there was only one horse too good for him.” Nicky Henderson told Racing TV. “Luckily he’s tucked away at Seven Barrows hopefully waiting for Saturday but apart from that there weren’t any better novices last year.”

“It’s what we hoped for but it’s an enormous relief. He jumps, he gallops, he was very good today and nicely relaxed. It was perfect, to be honest.”

A fantastic performance from a fantastic horse, and there’s no doubt that punters will be counting down the days to his next appearance and seeing how he fares in the Arkle in March.