Talking Horses: Punters may have to wait for Jonbon and El Fabiolo rematch

The immediate plans of Jonbon and El Fabiolo are uncertain, with a head-to-head at the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March now most likely

WINNING RETURN: El Fabiolo and Paul Townend en route to winning the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday. Picture: Healy Racing 

The two horses at the top of the betting for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March both came through their races at the weekend with a minimum of fuss and in fairly similar style. Jonbon eased away from Edwardstone after the last in the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday, 24 hours before El Fabiolo finished around five lengths clear on his return to action at Cork.

Willie Mullins’s El Fabiolo is now a shade of odds-on for the Champion Chase while Jonbon, who was five-and-a-half lengths adrift when runner-up behind El Fabiolo in the Arkle Trophy in March, is an 11-4 shot. Their potential head-to-head in just over three months’ time promises to be one of the highlights of the Festival.