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ALL eyes will be on Warwick on Wednesday as marmite horse Jonbon makes his debut over fences.
Last week major bookmaker Paddy Power paid out early on all ante-post bets on the horse for next year’s Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Hype horse Jonbon is set to start his chase debut at Warwick
Racing’s most famous billionaire owner JP McManus purchased the six-year-old gelding at Goffs November Sales in November 2020 for a record-breaking £570,000.
Despite winning a Grade 1 Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last season, he has divided opinion amongst racing fans and has been seen as a lesser light to his stablemate and electrifying Supreme winner Constitution Hill.
Jonbon has been accused of having a lazy racing style and only just doing enough to win at very short prices.
On the other hand he could prove his critics wrong and improve for fences being a full-brother to Cheltenham legend Douvan – who won the Arkle and Supreme.
However, it might be no easy task for Jonbon as he faces two worthy opponents in the form of Monmiral and West Cork.
The 13-time Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls has always held Monmiral in high regard and stated that he has always been a chaser in the making.
He was a warm favourite for the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham last weekend until he was declared a non runner on account of quick ground.
If he can build on the hype, Monmiral is likely to be Jonbon’s biggest danger in this race.
West Cork is the outsider of the trio but the Dan Skelton-trained eight-year-old is no mug.
He is poised to build on his second-placed effort at the same venue earlier this month with a fitness edge under his belt.
Jonbon is currently the 7-2 favourite for the Arkle, but that price won’t last long if he bolts up.
Templegate isn’t interested in Jonbon at those odds and picked out a 14-1 shot for you here.
