Grand National 2024 – Jonbon back to his best to win the Melling Chase on Ladies Day

Having missed the Cheltenham Festival – like most of Nicky Henderson's string – Jonbon (11-10 favourite) was back to his best to win the My Pension Melling Chase on Ladies Day at the 2024 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.

In the JP McManus colours – which had already been carried to victory by Inowhaturthinkin and Mystical Power earlier in the day at Aintree – Jonbon landed the Grade One feature in fine style. It was a high-quality line-up for the 2m4f contest with the last two winners of the Ryanair Chase, Dan Skelton's Protektorat and the Henry De Bromhead-trained Envoi Allen, in the field; and Gordon Elliott's Grade One winner Conflated taking on Henderson's Jonbon. But it was the latter who came out top stepping up to 2m4f for the first time. Having been sat off the pace set by Conflated (12-1), De Boinville edged Jonbon into the lead jumping the last fence. And he battled all the way to the line to hold off the rallying Conflated by a length-and-a-quarter, with the same distance back to Protektorat (7-2) third, with Envoi Allen fourth.

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Having won the Top Novices' Hurdle at the 2022 Grand National meeting and the Maghull Novices' Chase at last year's, Jonbon made it three Grade Ones in a row at Aintree. An emotional Henderson was delighted to see one of the stable's flagbearers back in the winner's enclosure.

The Seven Barrows handler said: "I don't know why, but everybody loves him, I know JP does as well. He dug very deep today didn't he? And he had to. His jumping was very slick and it was a great ride - you saw him at his best today. All the guys at home do a great job as if you change the routine, you could upset this fella very, very easily. I think we've got the hang of him now, we're learning!

"I always wondered whether we should have been thinking about the Ryanair this year and when we stepped Shishkin up to two and a half we soon realised he actually wanted three. I'm not saying that about Jonbon at the moment as Nico thought that trip was perfect for him around here. I think the two and a half is probably ideal, although I'm trying to get Nico to say he'll stay three. But we can think about those things during the summer.

"He is a flagship horse. He's been there a long time now, you can go back to when he was battling El Fabiolo here in a novice hurdle here two years ago – he's been at the top for a fair old while. He's just been a star all the way through and we love him, I hope he loves us!"

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On the stable's return to form, he added: "This horse was one of the special ones, obviously. I think we're getting through it quite nicely now, that was great with Sir Gino yesterday and they're all running well. This horse is a bit special, he's been at the top of his game for a few years now and has never missed a beat. We can enjoy this one. We'll never know whether missing Cheltenham has helped us with the horses coming here, you could say it's possibly in our favour. The other horses have been to Prestbury Park and we were sadly stuck in our box at home with all of them."

Jonbon has been ridden by McManus' former retained rider in the UK Aidan Coleman in recent seasons. But with Coleman suffering what proved to be a career-ending knee injury last June, De Boinville has stepped up. The winning jockey. De Boinville said: "I'd like to give a special mention to Aidan because it would have been his ride this season, I wish him all the best in his retirement."

Irish trainer Elliott, who was having his second runner-up in a Grade One on Ladies Day, said of Conflated: "I'm delighted with the run, but gutted he didn't win. The horse gave it everything but we've no excuses, he was beaten by a better horse on the day. It's always disappointing when you are second but when they do nothing wrong you have to be happy. I think he's probably run a career-best to be honest, he's a great horse. The winner wasn't at Cheltenham so was a fresh horse and I'm delighted for Nicky because he's a great man."

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Dan Skelton was proud Protektorat, who ran well in third. He said: "Harry (Skelton) will get off and say his jumping could have been a bit slicker, but around this track I wouldn't think that is far off a career-best. They went very hard the whole way. I know we beat Conflated at Cheltenham, but the complexion of that race was as good as I've seen to be honest. I'm very proud of him and proud of how he has kept himself together for a whole season. This has shown the Ryaniar wasn't just his day and I'm looking forward to next year more than I was this year."

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