The Grade 2 Shloer Chase begins the build up to the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March. Four familiar faces go to post this year, and Joe Napier previews the possible outcomes.
It was a successful graduation into open company for Jonbon a year ago as he beat Edwardstone by 9½ lengths.
JONBON
(Nicky Henderson/Nico De Boinville)
It is rare for a horse to confirm themselves at the top of a division without having run at the Cheltenham Festival, but Jonbon almost certainly did just that among the 2m chasers last term. Having been pulled from what became an historically weak Champion Chase at the 2024 Festival, his subsequent successes in the Melling Chase (over 2m4f) and Celebration Chase, the latter beating El Fabiolo, showed he is a performer of rare quality.
Overcoming the stable doubts which plagued Seven Barrows at the end of the previous jumps season, he is clearly made of stern material. He is also blessed with excellent temperament, so unless he throws an uncharacteristic jumping howler in, as he did when succumbing to Elixir De Nutz in the Clarence House Chase in January, he should have the measure of these rivals, having faced and beaten all of them before.
EDWARDSTONE
(Alan King/Tom Cannon)
Having been one of the most straightforward horses in training for most of his career, Edwardstone transformed into more of an enigma last term. Three times he chased Jonbon’s tail in vain, though he enjoyed a spell in between battles with that rival by failing to step up in trip at Kempton, winning by 40 lengths from the front at Newbury, and then falling when attempting a similar front-running trick in the Champion Chase.
It is understandable that such tearaway tactics were employed at Cheltenham, but I wonder if Alan King and Tom Cannon would do things vastly different in hindsight given how that race worked out. It could have been a Champion Chase that slipped away for a talented horse, who was only four lengths behind Jonbon at Sandown. The margins are not massive for him to overturn if at his best, but he is the oldest in the line-up, and so the most susceptible to decline.
BOOTHILL
(Harry Fry/Bryan Carver)
A talented horse with a healthy strike rate over fences, Boothill may only have won once outside of handicap company back in his novice days, but has never been far short of the best over 2m. Two such handicap successes last term, including one off a mark of 155, could only be secured by an animal with significant ability.
Unfortunately for connections, he fluffed his jumping lines in both the Desert Orchid Chase and Game Spirit Chase, making clumsy falls under pressure both times. Edwardstone had his measure at Newbury in the latter, but he was only three lengths behind him, and seven behind Jonbon at Sandown in the Celebration Chase. Patient tactics could see him compete in this for a good while.
UNEXPECTED PARTY
(Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton)
An impressive winner of last season’s Grand Annual at Cheltenham, the grey Unexpected Party could not live with Graded expectations as a novice, but a variety of excuses, coupled with him now being higher in the handicap, could see him compete as strongly as possible up in class.
The Skeltons will rue a missed opportunity at Carlisle at the weekend, and are probably playing for prize money here, especially as conditions are on the sharp side. He could set the race up from the front though.
Cheltenham Tips For Friday 15th November, 2024
It’s day one of Cheltenham’s November Meeting on Friday 15th November and all eyes will be on whether Jonbon can claim victory in the Shloer Chase. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers has taken a look through the form guides and picks out his best bets on the card… 1:10pm Cheltenham – Lycetts Insurance Brokers Conditional…
Thu 14 Nov 2024
VERDICT
Not a classic renewal of the Shloer Chase as JONBON faces rivals all of whom he has beaten before, some on multiple occasions. However, should he make an error as seismic as he did when unable to recover victory in the Clarence House Chase earlier this year, then both Edwardstone and Boothill are talented enough to capitalise, with neither finishing too far behind the selection at Sandown at the end of last season. Boothill may be the angle for forecast backers after wind surgery, with Edwardstone more likely to be on the decline being a year older.
- Jonbon
- Boothill
- Edwardstone
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