Jonbon opens account over fences by brushing aside West Cork at Warwick on Wednesday
JONBON, the winner of four of his five hurdle starts last season, brushed aside the challenge of Monmiral and West Cork to open his account over fences and land the Class 3 Highflyer Bloodstock Novices' Chase in some style at Warwick yesterday (Wednesday), writes David Hucker.
Jonbon's only career defeat came at the hands of his stable companion Constitution Hill, the hot favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, and he put in a superb round of jumping as he looks to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Edwardstone and lift the prestigious Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival next March for which Paddy Power make him 2-1 favourite.
Grizzly James was well backed to take the opening Denis O'Connell Memorial Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle but, after holding every chance in the home straight, he didn't have the pace to get past Warranty, eventually finishing third.
Getaweapon had taken the runners along until the third-last flight where he gave way to Warranty who made the best of his way home, going clear over the final two fights to beat Made For You by three-and-three-quarter lengths.
Easy Stratford winner Gitche Gumee headed the market for the Watch On Racing TV "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle, but there was also money for Irish point-to-point winner Amrons Sage and American Land, to whom he was conceding 7lb.
It was Amrons Sage who did the best in finishing second, but none could live with 66-1 shot Always Busy, who led between the last two flights to win going away.
The exciting Lookaway, winner of a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree in the spring, was all the rage in the betting on his eagerly-awaited hurdling debut in the Derek Bridge Memorial Novices' Hurdle.
Backed from 11-8 to 10-11, he was keen from the off, bowling along at the head of affairs, but found nothing more from the penultimate flight where Ginny's Destiny, who was returned at 18-1, cruised into the lead to score by eight-and-a-half lengths from Mexico, with the favourite back in third.
Anthony Honeyball saddled two of the three runners in the Visit racingtv.com Mares' Novices' Handicap Chase (Challenger Mares' Chase Series Qualifier) over two-and-a-half miles with Lilly The Pink, who was returning from a 606-day absence, taking on Exeter winner Swincombe Fleat.
They raced stride for stride from the start and, although there was still nothing between them at the final jump, it was Swincombe Fleat and Aidan Coleman who showed the better speed on the run-in.
The grey Ramses De Teillee rolled back the years when making all the running in the hands of Tom Scudamore to take the most valuable race of the afternoon, the £30,000 Racing TV Veterans' Handicap Chase over a trip of three miles.
There had been drama at the first fence where Snow Leopardess made a mistake and was pulled up but, from thereon, it was pretty uneventful as Ramses De Teillee galloped and jumped his rivals into the ground, with De Rasher Counter chasing him home.
There was a line of four at the furlong pole in the closing David Nicholson Memorial Mares' Open National Hunt Flat Race, but Walk Of No Shame, having her fourth start, passed them all to win going away.
