Ruby Walsh feels Libberty Hunter is the each-way bet in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.
He was speaking on Paddy Power Media’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast ‘Cheltenham Countdown’ alongside host Tom Nugent and Rory Delargy.
They took a look at the day two feature at the Cheltenham Festival in the wake of Jonbon's impressive Clarence House defeat of Energumene and the former jockey admits he's struggling to see the runner-up reversing form in March.
"He looked to me to be beaten fair and square at Ascot, ground was probably a bit drier than it has been in the past and I think Energumene as an 11-year-old would need really testing ground over two miles to get close to or even trouble Jonbon," he admitted.
Walsh was then asked if the Ryanair might come into play for Willie Mullins' charge?
"I don’t know – does it? I’m sure it could - I don’t know did it sound that way listening to Willie? But maybe it would but look he’s a former dual winner and he’s been beaten in two Clarence Houses and still managed to win the Champion Chase so I’d imagine that’s the grounds that Willie will go on or the lines he’d be thinking," he said.
"But could I see him beating Jonbon? I don’t – if Jonbon turns up similar to the horse he was last weekend or the horse that won the Tingle Creek, I think he wins the Champion Chase unless you got really testing ground and that’s a huge if and I think that’s the only way I could see any of these horses beating Jonbon if you got into a bog and something happened maybe."
And that caveat also applies to Gaelic Warrior.
"He will improve (from his reappearance run at Christmas) , but he has to. I think JJ Slevin was very good on Solness that day and he was in peak condition, but Joseph’s horses were just on fire at Christmas – absolutely on fire and I don’t particularly fancy Solness.
"Gaelic Warrior will step forward but again he won the Arkle on really testing ground and I think for either of Willie’s horses to beat Jonbon, you may put the Child of Prague out and do a rain dance."
El Fabiolo is a third Champion Chase hope for the Closutton and he could return to action at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"Yeah he is – he’s still aiming there," Walsh said. "I’d say he’ll do well to get there but he’s coming along every week. Whether he’ll be ready in time for the Dublin Racing Festival or not, I’m not sure but he’s definitely coming forward and Willie had mentioned about going up in trip.
"To me he’d have to have a run, you couldn’t – I don’t see you could chance him first time in a Ryanair, I think he’d be too free but he’s getting there. There’s just a couple of horses – I was thinking about it over the weekend – at Cheltenham if I was still riding if you were going there you’d be thinking yeah without bad luck, that’ll win and I think Jonbon is one of those horses. If you’re riding against him, you need a bit of luck. You need something to happen to him."
"I think Jonbon is rock solid – I think he’s one of the most uncomplicated horses in training You can ride him anyway – buck him out, he’s never free, he doesn’t race behind the bridle, he’s just so uncomplicated – I think he’s a very admirable horse, I think he’s a very good horse.
"I think he’ll win the Champion Chase but for an each-way poke it would be Libberty Hunter for me and the more I looked at it, I didn’t think last week there was a huge amount of pace in it but when you look at Solness and Matata, there’s loads of pace in this race and they’ll go very hard and it will suit one coming from off it."
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