Impressive Jonbon Notches Ninth Grade 1 Win

Jonbon (9g Walk In The Park – Star Face, by Saint Des Saints) followed up last month’s commanding win in the Tingle Creek Chase with another impressive Grade 1 victory in the Clarence House Chase.

Nicky Henderson’s charge was sent off favourite under Nico de Boinville and adopted his customary front-running tactics. The JP McManus-owned bay looked the likely winner approaching the second last and after a fine leap over the last, quickened clear to beat Energumene by six and a half lengths.

“What a performance,” said the winning trainer. “It was two heavyweights fighting for a title and it was a good, clean fight. Jonbon is still quite young and he's so professional now.

“He can dance at a fence and is very quick in and out when he's meeting one short, but what I loved was the way he quickened up going to the last. What he did from the second-last to the line was the most impressive thing.”

Saturday marked a fifth straight success and ninth Grade 1 win for Jonbon, who now has 18 career wins to his name. His first came for Ellmarie Holden, for whom he bolted up at Dromahane, before selling to JP McManus for £570,000 at the Goffs UK November Sale.

Previously purchased as a store for €140,000, the Lotfi Kohli-bred bay is an own-brother to the brilliant Douvan (Walk In The Park).