champion chase

jonbon has improved this year, and his jumping has also improved, but i think that improvement has come as a result of making his own running and getting a clear sight of fences which i don't think he will get today. there's plenty of early pace here and i am concerned that jonbon, who historically has made errors at this track, will find jumping to be a bit of an issue again when things don't go his way. clearly the best horse at his best but the overwhelming feeling is that he won't be at his best so i'm looking elsewhere at the prices.

i've landed quite emphatically on marine nationale at 7 on the exchange. i'm strongly of the opinion that a strong run, stiff 2m is exactly what this horse wants. he's been staying 2m on flat tracks well enough over the last 12 months with his one run away from leopardstown since the supreme win is 2023 coming at naas on first run of the season when he travelled supremely well, hit two out and got tired behind a horse that had a soft lead. he still has to improve on everything he's shown on the race course but i do really believe that this track and the way the race will be run will suit him exceptionally well. 

the pace will come from solness and quilixios to a lesser extent and while solness has excelled in this role recently, he's been doing so on a lovely flat galloping track where it can be very difficult to make up ground and i think he's rather flattered as a result. energumene is beyond his best now and found a fifty is a strong travelling sort that could be suited by the pace here but he's a much better horse going right handed. strong bet here.