Jonbon edges Pic D'Orhy by 1½ lengths in Ascot Chase

Jonbon produced a gutsy performance to prevail by a length and a half over Pic D'Orhy in the Betfair Ascot Chase at Ascot, ridden by Nico de Boinville for trainer Nicky Henderson and owned by JP McManus. The victory takes Jonbon’s Grade One tally to 12 and lifts his career prize-money to more than £1.6m, reinforcing his status among the leading chasers.

The race boiled down to a two-horse duel in the closing stages as Jonbon and Pic D'Orhy jumped the final flight together. Harry Cobden looked capable of driving 5-2 chance Pic D'Orhy to a third consecutive Ascot success, but de Boinville kept finding for the 4-9 favourite and edged clear. Blow Your Wad finished third, 14 lengths adrift of the winner.

Henderson stressed the toughness behind the performance. "You have got to be very brave to do what he did today because it was only four weeks ago that he was in another big battle here in winning the [Clarence House Chase]," he said, adding later: "You would like to think that he could win one [at next month's Cheltenham Festival] because he deserves one, doesn't he?" The Clarence House success four weeks earlier, when Jonbon beat Thistle Ask by three lengths, was cited as part of the build-up to this weekend's highlight at Ascot and as evidence of the horse's remarkable resilience.

Paul Nicholls paid tribute to his runner-up, describing Pic D'Orhy's effort as "one of his best ever races" despite missing out. Sky Sports pundits had leaned toward Pic D'Orhy in pre-race commentary, with Kate Tracey warning that the quick turnaround for Jonbon was a concern and Declan Rix backing Pic D'Orhy as a strong value play.

Market snapshots varied across outlets - Jonbon was the short-priced favourite in all reports, shown as around 1/2 or 4-9, with Pic D'Orhy quoted between 2/1 and 5-2 - but the hierarchy in the betting remained clear. Sources conflicted on the declared field size: BBC and Sky described a six-strong field comprising Jonbon, Pic D'Orhy, Blow Your Wad, Edwardstone, Classic Maestro and Heltenham, while Sportinglife circulated an eight-entry list that also included Etalon and Riskintheground. The final racecard and official result should be consulted to confirm declarations and finishing positions beyond the top three.

Off the Berkshire card, Haydock produced its own talking point as Grand Geste, trained by Sue Smith and ridden by Danny McMenamin, won the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase by just under two lengths. That victory carries a potential £500,000 bonus if Grand Geste goes on to win the Grand National at Aintree.

Jonbon’s latest Grade One adds momentum to Nicky Henderson’s spring planning; with entries reported for both the Ryanair Chase and the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, the champion chaser’s festival programme will be watched closely as punters and pundits reassess where his best chance for another big prize now lies.