Ascot Saturday: Jonbon digs deep as the ground bites back
Soft ground made honest horses look ordinary at Ascot. It turned the Clarence House into a stamina-and-survival test, not a two-mile speed exam.
Soft ground made honest horses look ordinary at Ascot. It turned the Clarence House into a stamina-and-survival test, not a two-mile speed exam.
And it left us with two strong feelings at once: admiration for Jonbon, and sheer relief that Il Était Temps got up after a heavy fall.
“It wasn’t pretty. That’s the point.”
The highlights in summary
Ascot rode Soft, with showers about. The card rewarded solid jumping and stamina. The Clarence House was the headline: Jonbon wore down Thistle Ask after making errors and briefly looking in trouble, while Il Était Temps fell heavily two out and, thankfully, got up. Harry Cobden had already been stood down after a fall earlier on the card, so James Bowen took over on Jonbon late.
Results recap (winners)
12:25 – Winston Junior
13:00 – The Jukebox Kid
13:40 – Ooh Betty (turned over odds-on La Conquiere)
14:20 – Vincenzo
14:53 – Came From Nowhere
15:30 – Jonbon (Clarence House Chase)
16:05 – Whiskey Yankee (beat fav Laguna Beach)
Clarence House Chase: attrition, not aesthetics
This was supposed to be a clean, high-class two-mile contest.
Instead, it became a slog.
Only two finished. That tells you plenty about the combination of tempo, jumping demands, and ground.
The late twist: Cobden stood down, Bowen in
Harry Cobden was stood down after a fall from Neon Moon earlier on the card. He missed his intended ride on Jonbon. James Bowen was called up late.
That matters because Jonbon is a rhythm horse. He can be brilliant when he gets into a smooth cadence.
Here, he didn’t get that luxury.
New rider. Soft ground. Pressure pace. Errors. Still wins.
How the race was run
Thistle Ask did what front-runners do on testing ground. He went on and made it proper. No hiding places. Jonbon made mistakes mid-race and looked briefly in trouble. Then the engine and the will kicked in.
Turning in, it felt less like a tactical Grade 1 and more like a survival exercise. From two out, it was a fight.
Jonbon picked up Thistle Ask late and went clear close home to win by three lengths.
Why this was a proper Jonbon performance
Plenty of Jonbon wins have been clinical.
This one was hard-earned.
He didn’t get his own way early.
He made errors and didn’t fold.
He had to outstay a rival who made it a true test.
He won going away after looking beat three out.
That’s not just class. That’s attitude.
The moment nobody wants: Il Était Temps falls
Two out. A heavy fall. The race stops being about form and starts being about welfare.
Il Était Temps was the short-priced favourite. He didn’t land.
The important line is the only one that matters today: he got up and was reported okay afterwards. Everyone watching wanted to see that grey back on his feet.
Racing can turn in a second. Today, it turned back the right way.
What it means for March
Jonbon
Connections have spoken again about options, including the Champion Chase and the Ryanair. Today’s win doesn’t force one route, but it does underline something: he can win when it turns into a scrap.
Thistle Ask
He’s earned his seat at the top table. Making it a relentless gallop in the mud and only being picked up late is a serious performance.
Il Était Temps
Hard to weigh the form after a fall. The first job is recovery. Everything else can wait.
Box: What we learned
1) Soft Ascot is a different sport.
Speed helps, but stamina and jumping under fatigue decide races.
2) Pace can be a weapon in the mud.
Thistle Ask made this a grinder. It nearly worked.
3) Jonbon can win ugly.
That is a compliment.
4) Late jockey changes are not footnotes.
Cobden stood down, Bowen in, and Jonbon still delivered.
5) Welfare sits above everything.
Relief first. Analysis second.
The rest of the card: two angles to file away
Handicaps rewarded solidity
On a day like this, “reliable” can beat “flashy”. Keep that in mind next time Ascot goes soft and the market piles into a sexy profile.
Favourites weren’t immune
We saw short prices turned over elsewhere on the card. That’s what deep ground does. It magnifies every doubt: stamina, fluency, toughness.
Quick hits and rumours to monitor (credibility score);
Jonbon to Ryanair rather than Champion Chase. Talk exists; no commitment. 6/10
Cobden only missing “a few days”. Reported that way; bruising is unpredictable. 7/10
Thistle Ask to stay at Grade 1 level next. Sounds logical; watch the entries. 6/10
Il Était Temps to take a cautious route after the fall. Sensible, but unverified. 4/10
Ascot soft-ground bias to “keep backing the solid jumpers”. A pattern, not a rule. 5/10
Preview scorecard: Picks vs Results (and £1 SP P&L)
Selections below are taken from our Par & Paddock Ascot Saturday preview.
P&L method: £1 win stake at SP (profit = odds; loss = -£1).
Picks (race-by-race)
PICKS P&L — £1 win stake at SP (one bet per race)
-------------------------------------------------
Time | Pick | SP | Result | £1 P&L
----- | --------------- | ------ | ------ | ------
12:25 | Winston Junior | 1/1 | 1st | +1.00
13:00 | The Jukebox Kid | 13/8 | 1st | +1.63
13:40 | La Conquiere | 1/1f | 2nd | -1.00
14:20 | Vincenzo | 6/4 | 1st | +1.50
14:53 | Surrey Lord | 4/1 | 4th | -1.00
15:30 | Il Etait Temps | 2/5f | Fell | -1.00
16:05 | Laguna Beach | 7/4f | 2nd | -1.00
-------------------------------------------------
TOTAL (7 bets, £7 staked) +0.13Tips (from the preview) + P&L
Preview tips were: Il Etait Temps (win), La Conquiere (win), Surrey Lord (each-way).
A) If you logged every tip as £1 win-only (for a like-for-like ledger)
TIPS P&L (WIN-ONLY LEDGER) — £1 win stake at SP
------------------------------------------------
Tip | SP | Result | £1 P&L
--------------------------- | ----- | ------ | ------
Il Etait Temps (win) | 2/5f | Fell | -1.00
La Conquiere (win) | 1/1f | 2nd | -1.00
Surrey Lord (win-only) | 4/1 | 4th | -1.00
------------------------------------------------
TOTAL (3 bets, £3 staked) -3.00B) If you logged Surrey Lord as a true each-way (standard £1 EW = £2 total stake)
Surrey Lord finished 4th, so it’s a full loss either way.
Tips total (with £1 EW on Surrey Lord): -£4.00 (total £4 staked).
TIPS P&L (AS STATED IN PREVIEW) — Surrey Lord EACH-WAY
Assumption: Surrey Lord = £1 EW (total £2 stake), others = £1 win at SP
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tip | Bet type | SP | Result | Stake | Return | P&L
-------------------------| -------- | ----- | ------ | ----- | ------ | ----
Il Etait Temps | Win | 2/5f | Fell | 1.00 | 0.00 | -1.00
La Conquiere | Win | 1/1f | 2nd | 1.00 | 0.00 | -1.00
Surrey Lord | £1 EW | 4/1 | 4th | 2.00 | 0.00 | -2.00
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TOTAL (3 tips, £4 staked) -4.00