Cheltenham Festival contender Jonbon is the star attraction at Warwick

Cheltenham Festival contender Jonbon is the star attraction at Warwick on Saturday, as he looks to extend his unbeaten run over fences in the feature £55,000 Virgin Bet Kingmaker Novices' Chase.
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Jonbon's only career defeat came at the hands of his stable companion Constitution Hill, the hot favourite for the Unibet Champion Hurdle, and he put in a superb round of jumping to win the Class 3 Highflyer Bloodstock Novices' Chase over the course in November. He followed up in the Grade 1 Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown Park in December and now looks to complete a hat-trick of chase wins en route to the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Festival.

Jonbon will face a maximum of just four rivals. However, these could include the classy Tommy's Oscar, who is rated 6lbs inferior, and Haddex Des Obeaux, who was a wide-margin winner over the course last month, but has an alternative engagement at Newbury.

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The Grade 2 Kingmaker has an illustrious roll-call of winners as, in addition to last year's victor Edwardstone, who went on to land the Arkle Trophy, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run won it in 2010 and Champion Two Mile Chaser Finian's Rainbow scored the following year.

Jonbon winning at Warwick in November. Picture: David Pratt.Jonbon winning at Warwick in November. Picture: David Pratt.
Jonbon winning at Warwick in November. Picture: David Pratt.

Also on show will be Love Envoi, a winner over the course in December 2021, before her triumph in the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Festival last year. She is due to have her final outing before Cheltenham this year in the £30,000 Virgin Bet Warwick Mares' Hurdle (Listed).

Both races will be shown live on ITV4, as will the opener, the £40,000 Warwick Castle Handicap Chase over two and a half miles, which is due off at 1.30pm.

The race has attracted 13 entries including course winner Kalashnikov and Stolen Silver, runner-up to Midnight River at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

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Completing the action are the Virgin Bet Novices' Hurdle and Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle, both over two miles, the Virgin Bet Fives Handicap Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs and the Virgin Bet Open National Hunt Flat Race which closes the card at 4.55pm.

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