Jonbon finally gets the credit he deserves - three things we learned this week

Three key takeaways from across the week . . .

Jonbon proves worthy of star billing

Sandown’s season finale is a day to celebrate champions and it was fitting that Jonbon, who does not get the credit he deserves, registered yet another big win.

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

It was Jonbon’s third Grade 1 win in Britain of the season and no other horse landed more than one.

Jonbon storms clear of El Fabiolo and Edwardstone in the Celebration ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Jonbon has won 14 of his 17 starts, finishing second in his three defeats to Constitution Hill, El Fabiolo and Elixir De Nutz – all in races at Cheltenham.

Sandown clearly suits him well, with his record now 4-4 in Grade 1 chases at the track, and options are very much open for the next campaign given his top record at two miles, a Melling Chase win on soft ground over two and a half miles and the potential to stay three.

Nicky Henderson described him as “a flagship”. Regardless of whether his illustrious stablemate Constitution Hill gets back on song, Jonbon deserves star billing.
Jack Haynes

Impaire Et Passe will be a major force over fences

Another Sandown winner who hasn't had the credit he's deserved is Impaire Et Passe, who has stepped out of the shadow of State Man to record Grade 1 and Grade 2 victories in the last two and a half weeks.

As impressive as he was in novice company at the Cheltenham Festival last year, it was perhaps underestimated how difficult a task he faced stepping into open-company hurdles at the age of five, first against Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace and then against winning machine State Man over two miles at Christmas.

Impaire Et Passe: will be a force to be reckoned with in novice chases next seasonCredit: Alan Crowhurst

He was second on both of those occasions, and although well beaten for a second time behind State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle, has bounced back from that admirably upped in trip.

Novice chasing awaits and he still has plenty of scope for improvement given he is the same age as the likes of Ballyburn, Slade Steel and Firefox, who may all be among his future opposition.

Odds of 10-1 for the 2025 Arkle and Turners Novices' Chase could look pretty big by the end of the year.
Sam Hendry

Blue shoots of recovery for Appleby

Charlie Appleby warned he was in a rebuilding phase when he expressed hope last month that his three-year-olds would be much stronger than a moderate bunch last year. 

The early indication is that those words may prove accurate, with Arabian Crown providing the latest evidence when running out an impressive winner of the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday.

He was a dominant winner under William Buick, who made plenty of use of the son of Dubawi from the off, and is the general 6-1 second favourite for the Derby behind City Of Troy.

Arabian Crown: easy winner at SandownCredit: Alan Crowhurst

It is a hard time to assess those odds, with City Of Troy due to return in the 2,000 Guineas this weekend and a host of Derby trials to be run in the coming weeks.

But it was at least another positive sign regarding the strength of Appleby’s three-year-olds. Hidden Law, Endless Victory and First Conquest are unexposed members of the Classic generation who have won for the team in the last fortnight, while Dance Sequence ran a respectable trial for the 1,000 Guineas in the Nell Gwyn.

It all bodes well for a fruitful summer for Appleby and Godolphin.
Matt Butler

Read these next:

'Flagship' Nicky Henderson star Jonbon stakes claim as best two-mile chaser with dominant Celebration Chase win 

'Genius' Willie Mullins makes history as first Irish trainer to win British championship for 70 years 

'He's the main Derby horse at the moment' - Arabian Crown second favourite for Epsom Classic after sparkling trial win 

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