Edwardstone meets Jonbon for a ninth time in tomorrow’s Ascot Chase

February 13

Alan confesses that he is “under no illusions” that Edwardstone faces a herculean task in tomorrow’s Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase, in which he takes on Jonbon for a ninth time.

However, while Edwardstone might not emulate Monet’s Garden, who was also a 12-year-old when he won this race for a second time in 2010, he has been showing  all the right signs this year to justify Alan’s decision to “give it a go”.

Alan, previously successful in this race with Voy Por Ustedes (2009) and Balder Succes (2015), said:”I would have preferred it if the ground was not quite as soft, but there is a lot of prize money up for grabs and Edwardstone looks to have lost none of his enthusiasm.

“All of us at Barbury were so proud to see him back in the winner’s enclosure at Kempton last month. We’ve always stressed that when he shows he’s had enough we will stop, but he looked to be loving it when runner-up to a good horse in Djelo in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, and he then went one better at Kempton, so why not run?”.

On form Alan concedes that at level weights third place is probably the best we can hope for – last month’s Clarence House Chase winner Jonbon, who has finished in front of Edwardstone every time they have met, is rated 14lb his superior, while Pic d’Orhy, who is officially 10lb higher, is a five-times course winner and has won this race for the last two years.

Edwardstone, who seems to appreciate being moved up half a mile in distance this season, has won 11 of his 39 races, amassing owners Robert Abrey and Ian Turtle more than £700,000 in prize money.

And, while Tom Bellamy is now our number one jockey, both Alan and the owners are happy for Tom Cannon to retain the remarkable association he has struck up with Edwardstone, having ridden him every time since they teamed up for the first time at Wincanton in 2019.

That day our stable-star, then only a five-year-old, opened his account when winning a bumper, and we could never have dreamed that he would go on to become such a magnificent popular money-spinner. Come back safely champ!