Racing

Jonbon shows battling qualities to secure Tingle Creek success at Sandown

JP McManus-owned horse takes record to 12 wins from 14 races in securing Grade One in tough conditions

Nico de Boinville riding Jonbon clear the last to win the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Sat Dec 9 2023 - 15:34

Jonbon showed a different side to his character when running out a gritty winner of the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase for owner JP McManus at Sandown.

The two-mile Grade One was run in very testing conditions and Nicky Henderson’s seven-year-old was not seen to best effect but took his record to 12 wins from 14 career outings.

Only four went to post with Boothill a non-runner but Gary Moore’s Haddex Des Obeaux made sure there was no hanging about.

Nico de Boinville had Jonbon settled in second but when the runners went out down the back straight he was jumping so well he soon found himself upsides.

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Edwardstone survived a bad blunder at one of the Railway fences but did not lose much momentum and he soon got involved on the turn for home.

Jonbon briefly looked like he may have a real fight on his hands but his class come to the fore and he was soon back on the bridle.

Having safely jumped the last fence Jonbon, sent off the 30-100 favourite, stayed on strongly to beat Edwardstone by two and three-quarter lengths.

Not So Sleepy stayed on best of all to win the rescheduled Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Saved from Newcastle’s abandoned card last weekend, the race lost plenty of its lustre when Henderson withdrew the current champion hurdler Constitution Hill and stablemate Shishkin.

That meant just four went to post, with Goshen and You Wear It Well setting a strong enough gallop in the conditions.

By the second last those two had done their running while Not So Sleepy, who turns 12 in a few weeks, was still on the bridle under Sean Bowen.

Love Envoi, who had not really been travelling throughout, soon appeared on the scene but approaching the last Not So Sleepy, who dead-heated in the race with Epatante in 2021, quickened eight lengths clear.

It was a noteworthy success for Bowen, who also holds a sizeable lead in the race to become champion jockey.

Le Patron provided jockey David Noonan with a first Grade One success in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.

Sent off the 16-1 outsider of the six-runner field, Gary Moore’s charge had won two minor handicaps prior to stepping into Grade One company.

He jumped like an old hand, especially when it mattered most in the straight, while the favourite JPR One blundered two out and saw his chance disappear.

Colonel Harry stayed on strongly in the straight having been outpaced and briefly looked as if he could make a race of it, however, he could only close to within a length and a quarter.

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