Jonbon all class to retain Tingle Creek title
Winning Wire Creek Chase Jonbon Ridden Betfair Steven Pic: Paston/pa Way The Their By On Jockey De Nico Tingle Boinville To
Jonbon added his name to the list of multiple winners in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at a windswept Sandown.
Nicky Henderson's elite chaser was winning at the highest level for the eighth time and took his record under rules to 16 wins from 19 starts.
Since the turn of the century top-class chasers like Flagship Uberalles, Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star, Master Minded and Sire De Grugy have won the Tingle Creek more than once and all Jonbon is now lacking is a first victory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Sent off the 8-13 favourite, Nico De Boinville had an early scare when Jonbon banked the second fence but after that it was plain sailing.
Quilixios took the field along with Jonbon never far away as JPR One also kept tabs on the front two.
Master Chewy fell relatively early on and then Edwardstone departed just as the race was developing, but all the while Jonbon was a looming presence.
He hit the front rounding the turn for home and had little trouble extending for an eight-length victory.
Henderson said: "He's returned with a little nick and I hope it's just superficial, but it will get cleaned off straight away.
"The mistake at the first ditch - he's jumped it so many time you'd think he'd know there wasn't a crocodile in there but today he thought there was! So many horses do that.
"He was up for a battle today, he wanted to battle earlier than even Nico wanted him to. He's just a real true terrier but he's a very classy terrier. He loves a scrap and wanted to go faster the whole way.
"Surely we go the Clarence House next and then hopefully we'll get into a fight with whoever they send over from Ireland at Cheltenham.
"You'd have to say he's right up there (with Sprinter Sacre and Altior). He's been at the top of his game apart from the Clarence House last year which was unfortunate, otherwise he'd be one more ahead of the game.
"He is the two-miler than can represent our country. We've got to fight against the enemy who are going to come over in force. We'll have to see how Energumene (former Champion Chase winner) gets on tomorrow."
"It's hugely special. After Newcastle last weekend and now this it's very special, and what a horse he is to win back-to- back Tingle Creeks, he's quite something," De Boinville told ITV Racing.
"He really did find a lot there and his jumping is just getting better and better. It was probably miscommunication at the second but that was it.
"It's hard work out there and gruelling but he's a hardy horse.
"He's really maturing, Paddy (Murphy) looks after him after day and keeps him in good order."