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- 'The hype appears to be correct' - Cheltenham Festival market movers

irishracing.com news
'The hype appears to be correct' - Cheltenham Festival market movers
Ascot 18 January 2025 Lulamba and Nico de Boinville win for trainer Nicky Henderson
© Photo Healy Racing
Nicky Henderson’s latest two-mile superstar, Jonbon, put up a flawless display in the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday beating Energumene. Henderson has since compared him to jumping greats such as Sprinter Sacre, Altior, and Remittance Man.
Jonbon is now firm favourite for the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while his stablemate and emerging talent, Lulamba, lived up to the hype to win a juvenile hurdle on the same card, cementing his favouritism for the Triumph Hurdle in March.
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Champion Chase
5/4 Jonbon (from 2/1) after winning the Clarence House Chase at Ascot
Jockey quote: They’ve done a tremendous job with him at home and I only ever school him, I don’t get on him any other time. The race went really smoothly and I felt like we were only doing a half-speed, but I think we were trapping along really. It was always the plan (to go forward) and I was aware horses can get caught late on here, so I just kept nudging him out to the line. I honestly just rode my own race today and if Energumene was good enough, then he was good enough. He’s a fantastic horse and he was good at the last — it might have made a nice picture! (Nico de Boinville)
Ryanair Chase
9/1 Protektorat (from 18/1) after winning the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor
Trainer quote: Everything was just perfect today, we’re delighted with him. This and the Ryanair were his two big targets for the year, it’s going to be hard to retain his title because the clock has ticked past 10 years old. He’s not getting any younger, but he’ll make them run, he’ll make them work for it. (Dan Skelton)
Mares Hurdle
12/1 Take No Chances (from 33/1) after winning the BetMGM Mares‘ Hurdle at Ascot
Jockey quote: She dug really deep and I thought I might be in trouble going to two out. I thought Willie’s horse possibly had me covered, but I got over two out and this mare really dug deep and stuck her head down — she’s really, really tough. There is no doubt we had race fitness on our side but it’s nice to win today. She’s done nothing wrong at all and the only time she has finished out the front three (this season) is behind Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth and she ran really well the last day at Cheltenham in a very competitive handicap. She’s a really solid mare and runs her race every time. (Kielan Woods)
Triumph Hurdle
6/4 Lulamba (from 4/1) after winning the BetMGM Juvenile Hurdle at Ascot
Trainer quote: He’s a gorgeous looking horse and you see him stood in there and looking out with that great look of a horse. He’s just a very sound horse with an enormous future. Look at the size of him and he’s only had one run in France — and I think if he had been beaten in this race, we may have even put him away for next year. I felt we were facing a brick wall there when you consider the weight we were trying to give away to some very high-class horses, it looked an impossible task. I was prepared to get beaten today because of all the hype and the weight we were giving away but I’ve got to eat humble pie here and say the hype appears to be correct. (Nicky Henderson)