Jonbon finally receives well-deserved credit – three key takeaways from this week

JP McManus’s eight-year-old was successful in the bet365 Celebration Chase as a novice last year. He lowered the colours of his main rival El Fabiolo, taking the scoreline to 2-1 in his favour against the Willie Mullins chaser.

This win marked Jonbon’s third Grade 1 win in Britain of the season, a feat unmatched by any other horse. Regardless of whether his illustrious stablemate Constitution Hill gets back on song, Jonbon deserves star billing.

His impressive performances in novice company at the Cheltenham Festival last year saw him face a difficult task stepping into open-company hurdles at the age of five. This included challenging races against Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace and the winning machine State Man over two miles at Christmas.

Novice chasing awaits Jonbon and he still has plenty of scope for improvement, given that he is the same age as potential future opposition such as Ballyburn, Slade Steel, and Firefox. With odds of 10-1 for the 2025 Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chases, Jonbon’s potential is worth considering.

Under the guidance of William Buick, Jonbon was a dominant winner who made good use of his abilities. He is currently the general 6-1 second favourite for the Derby behind City Of Troy, setting the stage for a fruitful summer for Appleby and Godolphin.