Expert jury: has the complexion of the Arkle changed after Jonbon's hard-fought Kingmaker success?

Jonbon was forced to work very hard to maintain his unbeaten record over fences in a match race for the Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Warwick and the bookmakers were not impressed, pushing him out to 2-1 and installing El Fabiolo as the new favourite. Has the complexion of the Arkle completely changed? Our experts give their view.

'He wins the Arkle'

Nicky Henderson described the Kingmaker as a prep run for Jonbon ahead of Cheltenham and he passed that with flying colours. 

A clash with El Fabiolo is on the cards again and I believe the same outcome will unfold in the Arkle. Having extended his record over fences to 3-3, he has slightly more experience than Willie Mullins’ contender and I think that will prove crucial. 

Jonbon looks more and more relaxed with each race, and although the likes of El Fabiolo and Dysart Dynamo will be tough to crack, he has a lot of class and, remarkably, I still think he can get even better. He wins the Arkle.  
Liam Headd, reporter

'Perhaps he was playing down to his opposition'

I have been very vocal of my support for Jonbon's Arkle bid this season, but that run in the Kingmaker did not give me much confidence. 

Connections have said it was a prep and perhaps he was playing down to his opposition, but to be taken off the bridle by Calico does not bode well, especially when El Fabiolo was out at the Dublin Racing Festival beating Grade 1 opposition. 

I would still have my doubts about El Fabiolo's jumping so he does not interest me at near odds-on, and I would perhaps be looking at a horse like Haddex Des Obeaux to pick up the pieces at an each-way price in March.
Owen Goulding, tipster

Haddex Des Obeaux: an each-way alternativeCredit: Alan Crowhurst

'El Fabiolo looks the right favourite'

Jonbon's odds this season have always looked cramped to me given how far he was beaten by Constitution Hill in last season's Supreme – third-placed Kilcruit hasn't really boosted that form – and I'm still not convinced he's a superstar. However, I think this might be a classic case of two apparently contradictory things being true at the same time. 

Jonbon's Kingmaker performance was almost certainly a mile below what he will need to win an Arkle, but you need to have almost never watched jump racing in Britain to imagine that Nicky Henderson had him even close to concert pitch. 

El Fabiolo looks the right favourite and, bar a slightly scruffy effort four out, his jumping seemed to have improved in the Irish Arkle. His stablemate Saint Roi might be interesting as an each-way prospect at around 25-1 having unshipped Mark Walsh without really making an error in the same race.
Scott Burton, reporter

Read more here

Kingmaker: 'He looked rusty, that's all' - Jonbon out to 2-1 for Arkle after hard-fought match race win 

Betfair Hurdle: 'He's still on the rise' - top trainers on their big-race contenders 

Philip Hobbs hits 3,000 career wins as Zanza springs 16-1 surprise 

 Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.