Why mistakes by Jonbon and Energumene may have made their lives easier in the weekend's big races

An advantage of being in front in a jump race is that you don't have to worry about horses ahead of you doing something unexpected. It could be argued that both winners of the weekend's big two-mile races put their main rivals out of contention by failing to keep straight at their fences.

Everyone saw it happen in the case of Energumene, who was doing his Asterion Forlonge impression in Cork's Hilly Way Chase, jumping right at the last three fences and possibly affecting Banbridge, who unseated at the last when close enough to mount a challenge. In the case of the Tingle Creek, it was less discussed that Jonbon put in a short one and jinked slightly left at the final Railway Fence, which put him in the path of Edwardstone, who then also put in a short one and fell.

There's no proving cause and effect but Edwardstone was second-favourite and his departure left Jonbon with less work to do. The winner is 11-4 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.