McCoy: Jonbon worthy Champion Chase favourite

Sir Anthony McCoy has hailed after his decisive Clarence House Chase success and says he has earned the right to head to the Cheltenham Festival as favourite for the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Nicky Henderson’s latest two-mile chasing superstar enhanced his ever-growing portfolio with a flawless display at Ascot last weekend, brushing aside Willie Mullins’ Energumene to pick up the ninth Grade One of his impeccable career.

It was a performance that saw the bookmakers running for cover, with Jonbon now as short as evens in places for the day two feature at National Hunt’s showpiece meeting.

A 10th top-level triumph for Jonbon at Prestbury Park in March would be his first at the Cheltenham Festival and McCoy is hopeful he can now erase that hoodoo after producing arguably a career best at Ascot.

McCoy said: “He’s a very good horse, isn’t he? He shows up every day and what is there not to like about Jonbon? He’s won 17 of his 20 races and he’s a proper racehorse.

“He’s definitely the one to beat at Cheltenham and he hasn’t put a foot wrong all season. He looked as good as, if not better than ever at Ascot and you just wouldn’t mind a few more Jonbons.

“He’s just a very good horse and hopefully he will go on and get that Cheltenham win.”

Owned by McCoy’s former boss JP McManus, it has often been said Jonbon’s aggressive style of racing would have made a perfect match for the 20-time champion jockey, who rode 31 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and enjoyed an unforgettable Champion Chase success aboard Henrietta Knight’s Edredon Bleu in 2000.

However, McCoy – still a key part of the McManus operation following his retirement from the saddle – simply believes the nine-year-old is a horse anyone would dream of riding and harked back to a saying from his old ally Martin Pipe to quantify Jonbon’s achievements.

He told the PA news agency: “I think anyone would like to ride Jonbon, I think even the postman would like to ride Jonbon.

“He’s just a very good horse and a very intelligent horse. Martin Pipe used to say ‘what does a good horse look like, well he’s one with a lot of ones by his name’ – Jonbon has plenty of those and he’s just a very cool horse.”