Jonbon set for Sandown as Melling Chase hat-trick bid vetoed
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Wed 8 Apr 2026
Jonbon will head to Sandown for the Celebration Chase after Nicky Henderson decided against going for a JCB Melling Chase hat-trick at Aintree on Friday.
Nicky Henderson’s popular 10-year-old has won the last two runnings of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One, but will now drop back to two miles on the final day of the jumps season for a race he won in both 2023 and 2024 before having to settle for second behind subsequent Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Il Etait Temps 12 months ago.
Henderson told the Press Association: “We’re going to wait for Sandown and the long and short of it is he had a hard race at Ascot in February which was eight weeks ago and then went to Cheltenham and not surprisingly had another hard race.
“There was a little bit of a thought he might have been a little bit flat at Cheltenham, but we were unsure and we did a little bit of work with him on Saturday and it just appealed to me, with the weather nice, the sun out and the grass looking a bit greener, we’ll wait for Sandown.
“We’ll go again for the Celebration Chase and we know we likes it there. Last year he did Cheltenham, Aintree and Sandown and that flattened him out, he was flat at Sandown when second to Il Etait Temps.
“I just want to get him ripe fresh again and another two weeks will do him good then we can bomb off to Sandown for his old favourite Celebration Chase where we know he loves it.
“The thinking is it is a lovely place to round off the season for him and he’s in great form, Nico (De Boinville) sat on him Saturday and it’s not that he worked badly or anything. We just think we can freshen up a little bit more. He can’t do both so we’ll take him for the end-of-season party.”
Jonbon was last seen finishing second to Heart Wood in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, with Henry de Bromhead’s eight-year-old the star attraction in the Melling going for the Cheltenham-Aintree double at the end of what has been a fine season to date.
The Irish are also represented by Leopardstown specialist Solness who is an interesting name in the mix moving up from two miles for Joseph O’Brien.
Also going up in trip is Dan Skelton’s L’Eau du Sud after picking up the bronze medal in the Champion Chase at the Festival, while stablemate Grey Dawning – second to Gaelic Warrior in the Bowl here last year – drops back in distance following an honourable fourth behind the same rival in the Gold Cup.
Gidleigh Park was second in the novice Grade One over the same track and trip 12 months ago and makes just his third outing of the campaign for Harry Fry, with Jane Williams’ Saint Segal and Joe Tizzard’s JPR One completing the sextet engaged.
Only a sloppy jump at the last arguably cost Sober Glory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he will seek compensation in the Thatprizeguy Top Novices’ Hurdle.
The Grade One contest has attracted a field of six, with Alan King’s Supreme fourth Baron Noir and County Hurdle fifth Sinnatra perhaps set to pose most questions of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Festival runner-up.
Paul Nicholls took the William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase with Caldwell Potter 12 months ago and will attempt a repeat with Regent’s Stroll who follows the same pathway having run in the Jack Richards at Cheltenham last month.
Chief amongst the opposition appears Gary and Josh Moore’s Brown Advisory third Salver, Jamie Snowden’s Wendigo, who was a faller in the same race, and Stuart Edmunds’ Miami Magic, who has already claimed the scalp of Regent’s Stroll once this term.
Nicholls again looks to have a strong hand in the Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle where star performer No Drama This End will be partnered by Sam Twiston-Davies for the first time, stepping up to three miles in a bid to make amends for his Turners Novices’ Hurdle disappointment.
That leaves Harry Cobden free to partner unexposed stablemate Talk To The Man on his first outing in deeper waters.
Albert Bartlett winner Johnny’s Jury, Ben Pauling’ Mondoui’boy – who was fourth in that contest – and Joe Tizzard’s sixth Kripticjim add further spice to a deep race that also includes Turners third Zeus Power and Skelton’s Dalton Lad going for a four-timer.
Related posts
How To Bet £20 on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival
Archi excels in Eclipse spin
How To Bet £20 on Saturday: Chips a tasty proposition at 8-1
Comment: Why mighty mare Apple's Jade should run in the Champion Hurdle
Benbaun back to best
Todays top offer
Get 1,000,000 Free Spins on J Cole
T&Cs Apply
Featured offers
Bet £10 get £40 in Free Bets with Midnite
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 get £40 in Free Bets
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Testing JC
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 & Get £30 in free bets
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Bet £10 get £40 in Free Bets
T&Cs Apply
Claim Now
Copyright 2026 Racing TV - All Rights Reserved.
Please bet responsibly
Copyright 2026. All rights reserved