Jonbon Puts Himself in Champion Chase Mix

JP McManus Horse Against Rail

Former dominant 2m chaser, Jonbon, has put himself back in the mix for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after winning the Grade One Clarence House Chase, the feature race on day two of the Berkshire Winter Millions.

Nicky Henderson’s star chaser picked up his first success since winning at the Grand National Meeting at Aintree last April. It was his second triumph in the Ascot feature.

James Bowen Stepped in For Harry Cobden

Rider James Bowen was a late substitute on board Jonbon in the Clarence House Chase, as Harry Cobden was ruled out of action due to a fall earlier in the card. Bowen last rode the horse in this same race two years earlier, going down by just a neck in second place. After this latest triumph for the pair, Jonbon is now 10/1 in the bet on horse racing online market for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

As the racing results show, Jonbon was beaten on his opening two starts to the 2025/26 campaign. He was runner-up in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, while more recently, he chased home Il Etait Temps in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. Those defeats left his connections considering their options for the Cheltenham Festival, with the Ryanair Chase becoming increasingly on their radar

Jonbon is now likely to have his second shot at the premier 2m chase contest in the sport. He is still looking for his first Festival triumph, and his latest win will give his connections renewed optimism.

Il Etait Temps Needs to Bounce Back from Ascot Fall

Irish chaser Il Etait Temps suffered his first defeat this season when falling at the penultimate fence in the Clarence House Chase. He will get the chance to bounce back from that error when he lines up in the Dublin Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.

Willie Mullins’ runner won five straight races before his Ascot defeat, three of which have been at the highest level, including when winning the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown by a margin of nine lengths.

The eight-year-old has entries in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and despite his latest setback, the former remains his primary target.

Marine Nationale Favourite to Defend Champion Chase Crown

Last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, Marine Nationale, is the favourite to defend his crown in the Championship race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. The Irish horse followed up his Champion Chase triumph with victory at the Punchestown Festival a month later last season.

Barry Connell’s gelding had to settle for second place behind Solness on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown’s festive meeting. He made a mistake at the second fence in that race but recovered and got within a length of the winner at the finish.

Only three horses in the last 25 years have been able to win back-to-back renewals of the Champion Chase, so if Marine Nationale can win the day two feature at the Festival, he will join Master Minded, Altior and Energumene on the elite list.

The 2026 Queen Mother Champion Chase takes place on Wednesday, 11th of March, with the final declarations for the race set to be revealed on Monday, 9th of March.