Jonbon's biggest threat? El Fabiolo lands first Grade 1 in top quality novice chase

Willie Mullins did not leave a good two-mile novice chaser of his in its box for this year's running of the Goffs Irish Arkle, as the champion trainer sought to separate the men from the boys among his team of young stars. And no horse was left standing taller at the end of it than El Fabiolo, as he put in a most impressive performance in the hands of Daryl Jacob.

He is now a best-priced 9-4 second favourite from 6-1, while his old rival Jonbon was pushed out a fraction to 13-8 by Betfair on the back of this performance.

A searching gallop was set by stable companion Dysart Dynamo, but he never really seemed to go quickly enough for the winner, who raced keenly in Jacob's hands. Indeed, on just his second run over fences, the son of Spanish Moon was still quite novicey in his jumping from time to time and made quite a bad mistake four out. But none of his errors quelled his appetite for jumping.

Stable companion and favourite Appreciate It had looked poised to attack under Paul Townend when hitting the front before the straight, but the winner drew clear powerfully on the run to the line, scoring by ten lengths, as Banbridge stayed on well from the last under JJ Slevin to chin Appreciate It for the runner-up spot.

Daryl Jacob and Simon Munir embrace after El Fabiolo's winCredit: Patrick McCann

Only a neck separated Jonbon and El Fabiolo on their only previous meeting in a Grade 1 2m novice hurdle at Aintree last April, and Mullins is looking forward to the challenge of taking him on again. “He's improving all the time," Mullins said. "At that start of the year we were wondering if we would go out to two and a half, but with what he did at Christmas and now today, the Arkle is his race.

“You could see every horse in the race had a chance at different stages. The one negative was a mistake he made four out, and Daryl blamed himself for that, then he came back on the bridle again and he did everything right.

"There were very good horses behind him, and to put ten lengths between them in that sort of a race . . . he goes to Cheltenham with a really good chance.”

Winning co-owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede were also present for the beginning of a big weekend for them, with Blue Lord to look forward to on Sunday. Munir said: “I was very impressed. It was only the sixth run of his life and we don't really know how good he is, while Souede added: “We are very excited about this horse and we think the best is yet to come from him.”

Trainer Joseph O'Brien was very pleased with the performance of runner-up Banbridge, and said: “It was run at a fierce tempo, he jumped a bit left in the back straight, but came home very strong in a hot race. If he jumped the last better he would have been a good second. He's in the Arkle and the Turners, but it is more likely he will be going up in trip.”

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