Exciting Jonbon fends off El Fabiolo in Aintree thriller

Jonbon, runner-up to stable companion Constitution Hill in last month’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, registered his first Grade One success in the Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle (2m 103y).

It was a second win at the 2022 Randox Grand National Festival for owner JP McManus, trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Aidan Coleman following the victory of Epatante in yesterday’s Grade One Betway Aintree Hurdle.

Six year old Jonbon was returned the Evens Favourite and held off the strong challenge of El Fabiolo to score by a neck.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson said: “He gets excited but so do a lot of horses but we mind him because it is sensible. He has had a great season. Constitution Hill is the only person to lower his colours but you can’t take that out on him as he is unbeaten otherwise and he has finished up getting his Grade One here which is great. I’m pretty certain he will go novice chasing next season. He will get further, I’m sure he would. We had him in the two and a half both at Cheltenham and here but we felt we could stay at two.

“It is not a consolation prize as he deserves it as he has done nothing wrong all year apart from bump into what might be an extraordinary horse that luckily lives in the same place, so from that point of view (defeat at Cheltenham) was less painful for us than the Jonbon team.

“All the same it is lovely to have two horses like that. They are both very exciting and you couldn’t have better.

“There is no doubt the second horse is a very good horse and they pulled a long way clear of the third. He hasn’t been in any battles as he has had it fairly easy. That is the first time he has really had to put his head down and fight and he jolly did. That is why you loved him.

“You can criticise him because he gets a bit sweaty or a bit buzzy but that’s just him - he enjoys it. He has done everything right today but we have a way of handling by having the ear plugs down to the start then they come out and all sorts of things, but we are getting the hang of it.

“He has got progressively better because he is getting to the end of the season. He has grown up a lot and that was the first time he had to get into a proper dogfight as Constitution Hill went straight past him and that was game over in a matter of strides.

“That will definitely be the end of his season as he would not want to go to Punchestown. He will almost certainly go chasing and Aidan (Coleman) said wait until he runs in the Arkle.”

Successful jockey Aidan Coleman said: “That was super. I got a very easy ride. Jonbon jumped, he travelled, and he saw it out well. We got left in front plenty soon enough, but fair play to him he didn’t let me down. He’s tough, he’s genuine and he’s a good ride, so very easy from my point of view.

“It was no surprise to me he’s so genuine. I’ve ridden a lot of horses in my life and I knew from day one with this fellow that he was never going to let me down on that front. It’s taken until now to show that side of his character to you guys (because his wins were so easy and then his first defeat was so comprehensive), but I knew from the back of the last he wasn’t going to let me down.

“He goes on any ground, he stays and he jumps, so whatever they want to do with him I’ll be delighted to ride him.”

JP McManus, owner of Jonbon, added: “I think he did very well to win today. He showed great resolution and I don’t think he’d have any problem going a little further. I thought Aidan gave him a very good ride.

“We didn’t know how he’d come out of the race at Cheltenham, but you are always hoping and Nicky was very happy with his preparation. He had a tough race at Cheltenham, even though he was well beaten, so he did well here after just three weeks.”

Willie Mullins, trainer of runner-up El Fabiolo, said: “A real good run. We got a little bit of interference after the third-last, which we don’t know whether it cost him the race or not, but certainly Paul [Townend] had to use up petrol to get back into the contest. We’re very happy with his run, beaten by a good horse. We’re looking forward to his novice chasing career. He got two little nicks on his front leg; he might get to Punchestown, but we’ll see.”

Langer Dan justified 4-1 joint-favouritism in the 20 Years Together, Alder Hey & Aintree Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f), the opening race on day two of the Randox Grand National Festival.

The six year old scored by a length and three quarters from Fils D'Oudairies for the combination of trainer Dan Skelton and his brother jockey Harry Skelton.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “This horse was well-handicapped - we knew that from Galopin Des Champs and he picked up a bit of an injury at the start of the year that meant we couldn’t get going with him.

“He needed that run at Taunton badly, but then we obviously wanted to try and win the conditionals’ race (the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at The Festival), and I was actually angrier when we got beat by Galopin Des Champs (in the same race in 2021) than when we got brought down at the second (this year), because Galopin Des Champs - how was he there to beat us that day, you know what I mean?

“He was clearly a Grade One horse in a handicap. But being brought down - that’s sport, you’ve got to shrug it off and get on with it. He’s made amends today; we always felt he was well-handicapped, and he’s entitled to get a bit better than last year, because as he’s getting older he’s getting stronger. He’s tiny but he’s just getting a little bit more mature.

“I was stunned when he was dropped 3lbs in the handicap, but I think it’s appropriate. We benefited in this instance, but I think it is appropriate, what the British handicapper has done this year and reassessed the whole herd, especially the novices, and set them at a lower mark, because it was clear from the year before that we were either as a herd way too high, or the Irish were so far in front of us, not just with quality, but also with the quantity of handicappers, so he got dropped.

“Would the 3lbs have made a difference today? Not a jot. No one’s been unlucky or lucky; it’s just the way the system works now. I don’t want to use the word fair, it’s just more equal. Sometimes it neatly comes together, and it has today.”

As for future plans he added: “I’ll see how he comes out of it. Colm (Donlon, owner) has grand ambitions with his horses - we work from Cheltenham backwards.

“He can’t be here today because he’s busy working and that’s why Cheltenham is so important to him, because it’s the only four days he can get off apart from family holidays, but we’ve got grand ambitions for his horses.

“We’re trying to make them Graded horses - so I think, all things being equal, we’ll throw the dice at that Select Hurdle at Sandown in two weeks, then next year, if it’s appropriate, we might even start at something like the West Yorkshire Hurdle, and go from there.

“He won’t jump fences - he wouldn’t see over one! Although he would jump one, because he’s got the heart to do it, but he is small; he’s tiny.

“My agent Ryan Mahon bought him as a foal; we loved the breeding, and everything else - Colm bought three at the time, and we were jogging them round as three-year-olds one day, and I said to Colm, ‘Look, you’ll have to get your money back on this one - he hasn’t grown from a foal’, and he said, ‘Don’t worry about that, if they’ve got the heart for it, they’ll run’, and he’s turned out the best of the three by a country mile.

“The horse has got a phenomenal attitude on him and I’m chuffed to bits.”

Winning jockey Harry Skelton said: “He’s like a little motorbike and I had a dream run round. He’s not very big, but he thinks he is and he’s got a good will to win.

“He’s been a bit unfortunate, getting beaten by a good one at Cheltenham a year ago (subsequent dual Grade One winner Galopin Des Champs) and then being brought down there last month, but everything happens for a reason and we’ll take those beatings on the chin. You get a bit of bad luck in racing - that’s sport - but you just get back up and go again.

“I must say though that Dan has done an unbelievable job, along with our head girl Amber Blythe who looks after her. He had a bit of a hold-up before Christmas, with a little injury behind, and our backs were against the wall a bit, but Colm (Donlon, owner) has been very patient. We put all the pieces together and it’s all come right.

“In time he might just be a bit better than a handicap hurdler.”