Jonbon faces acid test and is no guarantee in fascinating Melling Chase - but main rivals must bust Aintree trend

There have been 26 horses aged nine or older contest this Grade 1 in the last ten runnings and just one was successful. Ten years have passed since Boston Bob’s sole victory and trends followers will see this as cut and dried as only one runner is younger than nine this season.

Jonbon is the horse in question and, while he established himself as a top-class performer by winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December, it still feels like he has a bit more to prove than some of these rivals, many of whom have been regular winners at spring festivals.

Jonbon might have won Grade 1s at the last two editions of this meeting, but both were in novice company and he has twice come up short at the Cheltenham Festival. This feels like the acid test for him as he runs here on a retrieval mission after missing the Champion Chase.