The Sandown crowd showed their love for Jonbon on Saturday - but Marcus Townend feels there's one race that matters for him now.
There is occasionally a moment when you feel the racing public take a horse to their heart.
Sure, they might have admired a horse, respected their level of ability and financially benefited from their success, but it feels different when they emotionally invest in them.
It doesn’t happen to too many horses on the Flat when it tends to be stayers like Further Flight and Persian Punch who become specially adopted.
Over jumps the likes of Desert Orchid, Denman, Kauto Star and Sprinter Sacre all galloped to an elevated level in the public’s affections.
He may not quite have reached their place yet but there was a feeling at Sandown on Saturday as he won his second successive Betfair Tingle Creek Chase, that Jonbon had reached parts few fellow thoroughbreds manage.
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You could sense that from the roar of the crowd as Nico de Boinville’s mount galloped clear up the climb to the Sandown finish line and you could see it from the punters who dashed to grab vantage points around the packed surrounds of the winners' enclosure.
Trainer Nicky Henderson sensed it too when he said: "It is our job to give pleasure to whoever we can and I appreciate the crowd here today. They have finally taken to Jonbon in a big way and it is great."
Winning back-to-back runnings of the Tingle Creek means Jonbon has emulated Kauto Star (2005 & 2006) and Moscow Flyer (2003 & 2004) among others.
He now needs to follow in their footsteps and win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March. With 16 wins from 19 runs and over £1million in prizemoney, it is the only thing missing from his CV.
The Australian batsman and former coach Darren Lehmann recently caused a stir by saying that despite Joe Root scoring more Test runs than any other England batsman, he could not be regarded as an all-time great until he scored a Test century Down Under.
I would argue the same thing with Jonbon. He needs to win the Queen Mother.
But the Sandown crowd, at least, will not agree with me. Maybe, part of the reason they love Jonbon so much is that he has a version of the redemption story.
He was never off the rails and his form has never dipped but he did appear a tad neurotic, living on his nerves. In contrast, he is now the consummate professional.
Henderson, who believes Jonbon "deserves to be mentioned in the same breath" as his great two-mile chasers Altior and Sprinter Sacre, said: "It is noticeable how much calmer he is compared to what he was like. He’d be dripping in sweat and you’d be saddling him in the stables, keeping him out of the hurly burly until the last minute.
‘"He has earplugs, which we take out at the start, to try to keep the atmosphere out of his head but he is calmer altogether in life. His whole demeanour is better and he is racing like a true professional.
"He so clever on his feet – he can dance in front of a fence. If it is not a long stride, he finds a very quick way of being short."
A mistake at the second fence apart, Saturday's eight-length win from Quilixios exuded quality. His place as the ‘captain’ of the British team when they face the Irish at the Cheltenham Festival is assured.
He’ll go there via the Clarence House Chase at Ascot next month but if for any reason he has to wait for the Game Spirit at Newbury the following month, he may have to take on the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase winner L’Eau Du Sud.
Ultimately, it will only be a matter of time before Jonbon clashes with the Dan Skelton-trained Arkle Trophy Novices’ Chase hope who has taken his very good handicap hurdle form to new heights over fences.
L’Eau Du Sud was not extravagant with his jumping on Saturday but he coped safely enough when he got the take-off stride wrong at a few fences.
The satisfied Skelton, adamant L’Eau du Sud will be better on drier ground, said: ‘"He was untidy at the last two fences but the good ones find a way. There was also an unanswered question with him about how resilient he is in a battle. I think he has answered that quite emphatically."
It was hard to disagree on a day which felt like a true National Hunt event after the season has stuttered without getting into top gear.
Storm Darragh was seen off but the rain it brought delivered some proper jumping ground.
That helped De Boinville complete a double on dour galloper Mr Vango in the Betfair Exchange London National, a timely success given trainer Sara Bradstock had spoken in the days leading up to race about her struggle to attract horses and keep training since the death of his husband Mark.
That’s despite the Bradstock stable winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Coneygree only nine years ago.
Also grateful the meeting survived the weather threat was 21-year-old conditional jockey Chad Bament.
The son of a builder from Barnstable, he made his 10lb claim count to register only his second winner under rules when the Anthony Honeyball-trained Good Luck Charm won the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Bament said: "I was hoping the meeting would be on and I couldn’t be more happy with the day now. I knew she would have a chance with 10lb off her back in these conditions. The ground was perfect and the trip ideal.
"This is my fourth season with Anthony, I was amateur for the first three. My brother Jake got me into racing. He worked in a few stables before losing his love for racing but he still rides in points and he works with my dad bricklaying during the week."
There will be no chance of Chad reaching for his trowel anytime soon on this competent evidence.
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