'I think he'll love the trip' - Nicky Henderson raring to go as Jonbon steps into unknown territory for Melling test

It was a shame about the festival, but who needs Cheltenham when your record at Aintree is this good?

Jonbon was a late withdrawal from the Queen Mother Champion Chase last month, taken out on the day in the wake of the health scare going through Nicky Henderson’s yard at the time.

That was a blow as last year’s Arkle Chase second had long looked a top two-miler in the making and autumn victories in the Shloer Chase and the Tingle Creek only underlined that impression.

However, he appeared to be forced into jumping errors, including a bad one four out, in the Clarence House Chase over the trip back at Cheltenham and he was beaten into second place at 1-4.

So it is no surprise he should be tried over 2m4f here, at a track where he has scored Grade 1 wins in each of the last two seasons, narrowly getting the better of El Fabiolo in the Top Novices’ Hurdle in 2022 then bolting up in the Maghull Novices’ Chase last year.

Henderson, who has stepped Finian’s Rainbow and Sprinter Sacre up from 2m to win this previously, said: “I'm looking forward to it, he's been in good form. I would possibly have liked slightly better ground, but he's in great heart. He's won twice round there and I personally think he'll love this trip, but we'll find out.”

RP Recommends: how to bet on the Melling Chase

By Tom Park, audience editor

Most firms are going three places for this seven-runner affair, but some are going only two, so double check your terms if you are backing each-way. bet365 are offering three places and have their BOG and Price Promise, so that makes them the standout firm here. I'm in no rush to take on Jonbon, who might just appreciate this step up in trip, so I'll be backing him with bet365.

RP Recommends: bet365

Nicholls hoping to Pic up again

If you have done it once, you can do it again. That is the story of the Melling Chase, which has had no fewer than six back-to-back winners in the last 30 years.

Pic D’Orhy bids to emulate Viking Flagship, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Voy Por Ustedes and Fakir D’Oudairies here. And the horse who denied the last-named a unique hat-trick, when making his Grade 1 breakthrough here last year, comes here in form seemingly just as good 12 months on.

The nine-year-old was impressive when doubling his tally of top-level victories in the Ascot Chase in February, improving on his second place from 2023 with a decisive five-and-a-half-length success.

Harry Cobden and Pic D'Orhy: impressive winners of the Marsh

Pic D'Orhy: won the Melling Chase last yearCredit: Michael Steele

As last year, he comes straight here, and trainer Paul Nicholls said: “We've trained him for this race and he missed Cheltenham specifically.

"It's a good race, as you'd expect it to be, but he won this well last year and ought to have a very good chance. He ran very well at Kempton before brilliantly winning at Ascot last time, and he's won well on soft before. The ground shouldn't be too much of an issue."

Ryanair Chase winner bidding for 2m4f double

Four weeks ago, Protektorat was a chaser being experimented with at 2m4f. By Friday night he may have matched a previously unique Grade 1 double at the trip.

The former Gold Cup third was dropped in distance for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last month and rewarded trainer Dan Skelton’s decision by winning going away by four lengths.

Only one winner in the 19-year history of the Ryanair has followed up in the Aintree equivalent the following month – the top-class Albertas Run landed both races under AP McCoy in 2010.

But championship-chasing Skelton hopes Protektorat, who was also entered in Thursday's 3m Bowl, can match that feat, and the trainer said: "He has come out of the Ryanair really well. When all the rain came it was an easy decision to make over the trip for him, and this is the distance he won over at Cheltenham. I've been happy with him since.

"We've done things very differently with him this season, we've run him a bit more and trained him a bit differently, and he's thriving on his racing."

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Conflated
He's been a very good horse over the years and ran yet another big race in the Ryanair to be third. We've decided to come here rather than the National given the way the ground is and I'd expect him to be competitive again.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Easy Game
It's a very hot contest and will be tough for Easy Game, especially as the ground won’t be to his liking. We skipped Fairyhouse because it was too soft, but are taking a chance and running here. The weather hasn’t been kind to him. If he can get some of the prize-money that would represent a good day’s work.

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