The Shloer may have Jonbon but it needs to follow the example of the Desert Orchid and become a handicap

The Shloer Chase moving from Sunday to the opening day of Cheltenham's November meeting is to be welcomed; it is a classy race and helps to beef up a card previously lacking a bit of stardust.

However, the adjustments should have gone further, as it would be a far more exciting and competitive spectacle if it were run as a handicap rather than a Grade 2 conditions race.

It's great Jonbon will be making his reappearance in the race; as a seven-time Grade 1 winner, his presence is something we should be grateful for. However, I'm surely not the only one who is left slightly deflated when, looking at the market, I see a long odds-on shot. It usually means there's little scope for a punt – the likely winner too short, the remainder of the field not classy enough to merit a wager.