Henderson’s chaser makes serious mistake four from homeElixir De Nutz provides emotional success at Cheltenham
Jonbon, Britain’s leading contender for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, suffered a shock defeat at odds of 1-4 in his last race before the Festival on Saturday, as he went down by a neck to the 22-1 shot, Elixir De Nutz, in the Grade One Clarence House Chase, a result which gave the winner’s jockey, 18-year-old conditional Freddie Gingell, his first winner at the highest level.
Jonbon would have faced El Fabiolo, the favourite for the Champion Chase, in the Clarence House in its familiar slot at Ascot a week ago, and appeared to have a much more straightforward task after the race was re-arranged when its original date succumbed to the cold snap.