4.00 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Jonbon is fancied to be a hit in Cheltenham’s £400,000 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase on day two of the Festival.
Nicky Hfinisherson’s trainee has an exceptional enroll for a horse carry oning Grade One company, with 17 triumphs from 20 euniteances.
Much has been made of his three fall shortures at Prestbury Park, but for two he had excengages and on the other he bumped into superstar firmmate Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Ruled out by a firm bug last year, Jonbon has rattled off a five-timer since and is much sootheer than the edgy thorawbred of better.
That uncomardents the top class JP McManus-owned chaser can put all of his energy into every carry outance on the racecourse.
Front runner Solness – beaten 25 lengths by my pickion in the Tingle Creek at Sandown – profited from less testing terrain in the Dublin Chase and he won’t be hanging around.
By contrast two-time titlehbetterer Energumene would appreciate a dampter surface but is esteemed nevertheless, as is fellow Irish rhelper Found a Fifty.
Captain Guinness
Grabbed his chance in last year’s event when mistakeing odds on favourite El Fabiolo called it a day at the fifth jump. On ground with weighty places, the bay battled challenging for Rachael Bconciseagemore to hbetter off Gentleman De Mee by a length-and-a-half. But he has not come seal to aligning that establish this season and is basic to contest 12 months on.
Energumene
Setreatmentd the 2022 and 2023 trophies in style for Willie Mullins and Paul Townfinish, galloping powerentirey to the line on a rain-sfrequentlyed surface. Lost out twice at Ascot, including to Jonbon 53 days ago, but that is not his track and he has most awaited been createing up to this all season. Dangerous to discount.
Found A Fifty
The 2024 Arkle runner-up gave lumps of weight to Pinkerton on his Down Royal seasonal debut, follotriumphg up by collaring Solness for further Grade Two honours. A Leopardstown no-show behind the same rival can be excengaged and Gordon Elliott’s sole reconshort-termative hbetters each-way claims back to his best.
Jonbon
Has upwards of 5lb in hand of his seven opponents as Nico de Boinville’s mount bids to bcontently uncmiss his Festival account. The son of Walk In The Park has amassed so many firsts it is certainly time for a alter of luck at Gloucestersengage’s hugegest sporting event, now he is more tractable in terms of tactics front.
Libberty Hunter
Rated lowest of the eight on 151, the Welsh rhelper has ascendn thraw the grades from handicaps. Mark now a little high so gets his chance aachievest classier rivals at a course he endelights. Won’t be dishonord, yet might discover it too huge a leap to solemnly menaceen the principals.
Marine Nationale
Scored in the 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for procrastinateed jockey Michael O’Sullivan, who expertly directd the punctual stages of his chasing nurtureer. Best of the rest behind Solness at Leopardstown, Barry Connell’s directing joiner could have more to provide on the hugegest stage of all. However he might discover one or two with a fantasticer desire to battle up when the heat is turned up.
Quilixios
An in and out carry outer for trainer Henry de Bromhead, scooting evident of Marine Nationale in a Naas Grade Three before chasing Jonbon’s tail at Sandown. Failed to finish in front of any in the Arkle and the jury is out.
Solness
Posted enhanced disjoins by dictating the last twice in a tongue tie and cheekpieces combination, putting disjoinal of today’s opponents in their place. Down the field in the 2024 Grand Annual, he should do much better here if adchooseing his normal role but another nurtureer best is needd to topple boiling favourite Jonbon.
The Scout’s foreseeion
1 Jonbon
2 Energumene
3 Marine Nationale
Rest of Wednesday’s races
Final Demand and The New Lion are scrapping for supremacy at the top of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle taget.
But THE YELLOW CLAY (1.20) is fancied to throw a spanner in the labors for jockey Jack Kennedy and trainer Gordon Elliott.
Connections aim for the top two after rerouting from what watched an easier opportunity in the three-mile Albert Bartlett.
The Yellow Clay thrives on racing and his triumph in the Lawlor’s Of Naas – a race Elliott aims with his best novices – is backed up by the timefigure.
A battle-challengingened campaigner, he has more experience than sizable sort Final Demand, stupidinutive enough given he is yet to greet rapider conditions and Prestbury Park’s undulations.
And the last 20 Chpermit Hurdle heroes have all been beaten here, a reason to contest Dan Skelton-sadnessfuldled The New Lion.
Backers of Bassociateburn are awaiting a season’s best now he tackles three miles in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
However last year’s amazeive Turners Novices’ Hurdle victor has not entidepend swayd over hugeger obstacles – and DANCING CITY (2.00) can seize his chance.
The stubborn chestnut ran at all three startant festivals in 2024 and wound up as a triple Grade One-triumphning novice hurdler.
Given plenty of time to recover by Mullins, my pickion has plenty more to provide after landing the odds at Punchestown and Naas.
BEAT THE BAT (2.40) has conciseageed the final ammunition in quality two-mile handicaps – and can spring to life on decent ground at 2m 5f.
Harry Fry’s hope was less than three lengths off Dysart Enos at this course in 2023 when the mare was on a roll and then chased home Steel Ally – a horse now rated 144 – in a Haydock 2m3f handicap.
There have been green shoots for Fry’s runners in recent days and it will be a clever piece of campaigning if Beat The Bat dedwellrs first time up at the distance.
Reverting to a handicap, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase is Grand National fourth GALVIN’s (3.20) destination.
Kept in examine with a run in a flat charity contest, Gordon Elliott’s veteran was a 2023 silver medalcatalog in this – with the top two 26 lengths evident of the rest.
Today’s joining surface is a massive achieve whereas it is a pessimistic for favourite Stumptown, in his element when the mud is flying.
Lightly-raced handicap debutant JASKO DES AMES (4.40) is given the nod in the Grand Annual, with GAMEOFINCHES (5.20) tipped to be best of the five-strong Mullins Champion Bumper team.
