'His jumping was as good as I’ve seen from him' - job done for Jonbon as he returns with second Shloer Chase success

We know by now Jonbon is not always going to blow us away, but we also know by now it is going to take a bloody good horse to beat him. He is more efficient than extravagant, more Keane than Scholes, more Moscow Flyer than Sprinter Sacre. He doesn't mind getting down and dirty these days, just like he did here.

A second Shloer Chase was won in workmanlike fashion. He never really looked like getting beaten but, at the same time, you probably expect a slightly easier watch for your few quid at 1-3. Paddy Power left him unchanged at 3-1 for the Champion Chase. You couldn't cut him after this, but you couldn't push him out either. Jonbon did what Jonbon does.

The fact of the matter is the horse Sir Anthony McCoy hailed afterwards as a "beautiful and intelligent horse who has everything you want in a two-mile chaser" has now won 15 of his 18 starts, and finished second in the other three. Oh, and he has seven Grade 1s to his name, too.

Jonbon will be a very short price to make that eight in the Tingle Creek at Sandown next month and he will go there on the back of the best round of jumping Nicky Henderson has seen him produce.

"His jumping was as good as I've seen from him, which is great. He really enjoyed himself," he said. "We now have three weeks until the Tingle Creek and that was the perfect prep. It’s a case of job done and today was a lovely race for him. It takes us where we want to go."

Edwardstone and Boothill ran Jonbon close at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Where Henderson ultimately wants to go is the winner's enclosure after the Champion Chase next March, given Jonbon has never won at the festival, and this display should dispel any doubts that Cheltenham is not his track. He floated around the place and, while it got a bit edgy after the last, the outcome was never really in any doubt.

Henderson added: "Like a lot of horses, as they get older they get further and he won over two and a half at Aintree last year which was no problem. But as JP said at the end of last season, we are a two-miler and we’ll stay at two miles. That’s the right trip for him and you have got to be positive. All being well it will be the Tingle Creek and then the Clarence House – the normal route. I’d be surprised if we vary it."

It's next stop Tingle Creek for Nicky Henderson and JonbonCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Nico de Boinville thought first time out might be the time for others to catch Jonbon cold, but it didn't prove that way.

"I'm delighted with him. The time he was going to be vulnerable was today as ours have been needing a run," he said. "We didn’t set off at mad fractions and I didn’t want to be really aggressive on him. He was very brave at the last and kept finding all the way. I think he was pulling away at the line. He's a fantastic horse."

It is hard to argue with that description when you look at his record.

Boothill got closest to him at the line, within a length and a half, while Edwardstone was third with Alan King satisfied with the performance.

He said: "We'll take Jonbon on again in the Tingle Creek. It's probably pointless as it's 4-0 to Jonbon but there's a lot of money at stake. I think we'll stick at two miles. I'm very satisfied."

Jonbon just wins races – 15 of them now – and it's going to take something a bit special to beat him this season.

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