Sandown Saturday: Jonbon highlight of Nicky Henderson double
By David Ord
16:19 · SAT April 27, 2024
Nicky Henderson has endured a wretched spring but Jonbon’s victory in the bet365 Celebration Chase was the highlight of a fabulous final-day double at Sandown on Saturday.
Sent off at 15/8 for his latest bout with El Fabiolo, JP McManus’ charge wasn’t always fluent in the jumping department, a comment that also applied to the 4/6 favourite.
He was beaten going to the last where Jonbon was clear – and not for catching, storming up the hill to score by four lengths.
Edwardstone was second for much of the home straight but the favourite ran him down for the forecast spot in the final stride – to secure the trainers’ title for Willie Mullins.
Nico De Boinville told ITV Racing: “I’m glad we could put up a performance Jonbon was worthy of. When you commit with him you really have to commit but I thought he was very good today, particularly at the Railway Fences. It’s a good way to finish the season and I’m delighted for the whole team. It’s been tough but it’s ended the right way.”
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“We knew a week ago whatever happens we were going to have to go out and drum this race and make it a proper test. We had to test the stamina because we stay two and a half and we had to test everyone’s jumping," said Henderson.
“He’s not flawless as we saw at Cheltenham (when second in the rescheduled Clarence House) but he’s brave and two brave people went out there today and thank goodness they’re all in one piece and we start again next year.
“It was just a shame he couldn’t be at Cheltenham because once El Fabiolo had popped out of the race, then it looked winnable from Jonbon’s point of view. He would have to have jumped round himself but he couldn’t because he wasn’t there.
“I think he’s regained his place in the pecking order of two-mile chasers. He gets from A to B very quickly. He’s flown the flag all year and it was a brave horse to do that today and a brave jockey as well to be fair, as he had to ask him questions.”
A relieved Nicky Henderson at Sandown
Henderson and owner JP McManus will now consider future plans over the summer, with options over a variety of distances on the table.
The trainer added: “I was always thinking the Ascot Chase might be the place to start him next season, but Nico’s now talking about three whereas at Aintree he was saying go back to two! I don’t know what he’s thinking but it doesn’t matter. We’ve got all summer and we can’t ask the horse. We’ve just got to decide ourselves where is his optimum.
“Dusting it up like that and making it a proper test of jumping and galloping is pretty damn good.”
Fantastic Lady (9/1) was the first winner of the afternoon for the Seven Barrows team in the Grade Two bet365 Oaksey Chase.
The trainer said: “We kept her all season for the Topham, which she was second in last year, but this year it turned out too soft for her. We were third in this last year and thought we’d have a look again.
“She was really good today. It was a great piece of riding from Nico and fair play to her for coming back from Aintree so quickly. She’s a lovely mare and I feared she’d be in foal this season but I think she’ll have to play on now.”
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