Jonbon wins second Grade One over fences at Aintree

The Sporting Life Arkle second was rated far superior to his three rivals and stamped his class on proceedings in the two mile contest.

Jonbon jumped to the front at the cross-fence under Aidan Coleman, taking over from the free-running Marvel De Cerisy whose early exploits quickly took their toll. The more patiently ridden Calico closed to within two or three lengths at the penultimate fence but when Coleman got more urgent in the saddle, Jonbon immediately quickened clear.

Calico continued to give chase but was a long way back when taking an unfortunate and dramatic fall at the last.

Jonbon was winning for the fourth time this season having won twice at Warwick as well as landing the Grade One Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

The 2/11 favourite's official winning margin was 43 lengths with Marvel De Cerisy second and Fusain jumping round to collect third place prize money.

"As always," Coleman replied on Racing TV when it was put to him that Jonbon had jumped superbly.

"After the Arkle I didn't feel he got out of that ground as well," he continued. "Back on more or less top of the ground he was much more at home and he really jumps better off it because he's quite a low and neat jumper and I think on that tacky ground at Cheltenham he just got stuck in it a little bit. That was a different day and he still ran very well obviously. He's had a great career so far and onwards and upwards.

"There are lots of options for him. Two miles on good ground, riding him aggressive or forward, he's a fan of that but the way he relaxes and the way he jumps and the way he races now I think you can do anything you want with him. That's why I've always defended him because he's been painted in the picture of not being the easiest ride but I've never felt it myself and I'm the one riding him."

Jonbon got warm in the preliminaries and was sweating freely but Coleman explained that was just his nature.

"He's a free sweater, even at home, he's a warm horse. He's a Walk In The Park, they're quite precocious characters, a very good sire, and that's what they kind of do, they can get warm. He's just a very good horse, a very nice horse and I'm a big fan."

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson agreed that the conditions made a difference to Jonbon today.

"I do think he loves good ground, he's a really good moving horse, very athletic. His jumping is deadly when he's like this. That’s the way he jumps when he’s right. He jumped from fence to fence today and he didn’t at Cheltenham.

"If you'd seen him school the other day at home when Aidan came down.....he just jumped five fences on him and it was just good to watch. AP (Sir Anthony McCoy) was with us and we just (mimes nodding to camera).....and that's him on song and it (his jumping) just let him down at Cheltenham whether it was the ground I don't know.

"Aidan said on good ground he feels like a two-miler, although I’ve always thought he’d go as far as you like. We don’t have to make any decisions today though.

“I’ve been saying all along he should run in the two-and-a-half miler, but JP said a fortnight ago ‘well what’s going to run in the two-miler,’ as you had to assume Dysart Dynamo wasn’t going to come here and we knew El Fabiolo wasn’t coming either. Knowing that they weren’t coming, he was absolutely right.

"He's proved himself today and he's had a great season. They've all got to hit their targets and come back safe and sound and then you can look forward to going again."

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