Aintree previews: Jonbon has top-level opportunity

Hopes are high that Jonbon can bounce back to winning ways in the Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle on day two of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree on Friday.

The brother to the brilliant Douvan had gained plenty of column inches before he had even taken to the track and after winning on his point-to-point debut leading owner JP McManus was happy to go to £570,000 at the Goffs sales in November 2020.

To his credit, the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old has lived up to his tall reputation to date, with his only defeat coming at the hands of stablemate Constitution Hill who put up a jaw-dropping display in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last month.

Big-race jockey Aidan Coleman said: “He ran really well at Cheltenham, we were delighted with that. Constitution Hill looks pretty special, doesn’t he? So we were delighted. He was unbeaten and he beat the rest in the race fair and square.

“He had a very good season leading up to that, we’re hoping for a good run in another competitive race on Friday.

“It looks a very difficult contest in its own right, but Jonbon has had a great season and we’re hoping he can put up another good show again.

“It’s what he’s done all year.”

Assessing his chance, Henderson told Unibet: “He would get two and a half comfortably in our opinion, but he has the speed for two miles. He beat the rest of the field fair and square in the Supreme. You’d hope with no Constitution Hill, Jonbon would be the one to beat. The better the ground, the better he will be.”

Henderson also runs County Hurdle runner-up First Street, and added: “First Street ran a great race at Cheltenham to finish second in the County Hurdle, considering the winner (State Man) looked like a graded horse wrapped up in handicap clothes. We had no chance of beating that, but he still ran very well.”

State Man’s trainer Willie Mullins is represented by El Fabiolo, who has only had one run for the Closutton handler.

He was an easy winner at Tramore and was then due to run at the Dublin Racing Festival.

“He was very impressive in Tramore and then unfortunately got a knock on his way to the races for the Dublin Racing Festival and missed a bit of time,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“We decided Cheltenham was probably going to come a bit too soon so he takes his chance here.

“It’s a big step up all right, but he ran over hurdles in Auteuil and I think he’ll take it in his stride.”

Two prolific winners are available at big prices, Donald McCain’s A Different Kind and Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque.

There are three further Irish-trained runners in Gordon Elliott’s Vina Ardanza, Peter Fahey’s Imperial Cup winner Suprise Package and Jonathan Fogarty’s Salamanca Bay.

Funambule Sivola is looking to add to what has already been a breakthrough season when he runs in the Marsh Chase - widely known as the Melling Chase - at Aintree on Friday.

Trained by Venetia Williams, the diminutive seven-year-old won the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury before outrunning his 40-1 odds to finish second to Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Bookmakers will not be so generous on Merseyside, with Funambule Sivola rated only 1lb lower officially than last year’s winner and favourite, Fakir D’oudairies.

He is owned by the My Racing Manager Friends syndicate, run by Elli Morgan who admits she has been caught out by the seven-year-olds progression this season.

“I was absolutely thrilled with him at Cheltenham and what a little horse he is,” she said.

“It almost felt a like a win at Cheltenham. Just before the race I’d said to Venetia that as long as he ran a good race, even if he came back seventh, if he came back safe I’d be happy and she agreed, saying it was incredible he was even in it.

“Then Shishkin was pulled up, a few fences later Chacun Pour Soi lost his jockey and coming to the last I thought we’d be at least third yet he battled on for second.

“He’s clearly still progressing, each of his last three runs have been better than the last and he’s still only seven, he was the youngest runner in the Queen Mother so we’ve hopefully a lot of years left with him.

“Some of the press coverage was a little disappointing as it was all about ‘what if Shishkin was there’ but you can’t have everything.”

Funambule Sivola is stepping back up in trip, but Morgan is not too concerned about that.

“When he ran at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day there was a lot of talk that he didn’t stay the trip, but that was a different test to this and at Huntingdon before that I thought he stayed on and he wasn’t 100 per cent fit for his first run due to a little setback,” she said.

“We know he’s run well at Aintree, I’d expect him to get the trip there so it just depends on everybody else.

“We weren’t expecting him to be in graded races this season to be honest, we did think he would be eventually, but maybe next season. He has given us so much this year we can’t be greedy.

“We’ve obviously got Fakir D’oudairies to beat and we keep meeting these star horses – it would be nice to not have them in it one day – but in a way it’s nice they are as you find out how good you are.

“As long as he comes back safe, that’s the main thing, we’ve still got next year to look forward to. He’s already exceeded our expectations this season.”

Fakir D’oudairies was an 11-length winner 12 months ago, having chased home Allaho in the Ryanair a month earlier.

Connections decided to avoid another clash with Willie Mullins’ charge, who duly routed the opposition in the Ryanair again, and Joseph O’Brien’s eight-year-old was placed well to win the Grade One Ascot Chase instead.

O’Brien said: “Fakir has a great chance hopefully. It’s a tough, competitive race, but he likes the course and distance.

“He ran very well in it last year and we’re excited to be going there again.”

Paul Nicholls runs both Hitman and Saint Calvados and feels they both hold similar claims.

“I can’t split them and it was almost down to a toss of a coin that Bryony (Frost) rides Hitman with Harry (Cobden) on Saint Calvados,” he told Betfair.

“I retain plenty of faith in Hitman who ran very well when third to Protektorat at Aintree a year ago and has come up a touch short in top company this season. While he is not quite the real deal yet, he’s lightly raced and I’m sure there is more to come from him.

“I didn’t want to take on Allaho with him at Cheltenham and feel the Melling Chase over two and a half miles on a flat track is a much better option.

“Saint Calvados has had his issues but ran well for a long way in the King George on his first start for us, then hated the heavy ground when pulled up at Ascot.

“He has to improve but looks like getting the drier conditions at Aintree that he needs and will be much happier racing left-handed. He seems in good form at home.”