THE discrepancy in price between Jonbon and Energumene for the Queen Mother Champion Chase is a surprising one, after their Tingle Creek and Hilly Way Chase victories. Jonbon is generally available at 5/2, with Energumene a big looking 6/1.

The gulf in price reflects the fact that Energumene is now a 10-year-old and has had his share of injury problems and the fact that Willie Mullins has pointed Gallic Warrior at the race as well, however, it’s hard to believe that a fully fit Energumene will be as big as 6/1 should he make it to Cheltenham.

This opinion is backed up by the data that they produced at the weekend.

The Betfair Tingle Creek Chase displayed a visually impressive performance from Jonbon, who went through the race with plenty of zest, taking up the running after the sixth fence and comfortably beating Quilixios by eight lengths.

The race lacked the strength in depth of the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase on the following day, but Jonbon showed that he is as good as ever.

The ground played a significant part, the data suggesting that if we had a metric that was worse than ‘Heavy’, we would be using it.

The race was evenly run with Jonbon recording a Finishing Speed Percentage of 100.28%. The fact that he was able to finish the race evenly a testament to how strongly he stays two miles.

All of the other finishers failed to see the race out as strongly as him, as evidenced by their final four-furlong splits.

1st Jonbon: 62.71s

2nd Quilixios: 64.68s

3rd JPR One: 64.83s

4th Solness: 68.55s

Jonbon settled into a rhythm after a couple of furlongs and then raced evenly, before he quickened the pace at the 10-furlong point for two furlongs before slowing down up the Sandown hill through the final three furlongs.

Compared to the Hilly Way, this was much more of a test of stamina, due to the heavy ground and the stiffer nature of the track, but the Hilly Way was run at a stronger gallop and, as such, it was impressive that Energumene could finish his race as strongly as he did.

Hilly Way Chase

Energumene completed the first mile of the Hilly Way 8.56s faster than Jonbon in the Tingle Creek and then finished his race off very strongly, recording an FSP of 110.83%.

This relatively fast finish was enabled by the faster conditions, but to finish as strongly as he did off a strong gallop has to go down as being impressive.

His final four furlongs are set out below. They cannot be directly compared to Jonbon, due to them being achieved at a different track on different ground, but they demonstrate how well Energumene saw the race out, having been keen in the early stages.

1st Energumene: 55.62s

2nd Dinoblue: 57.30s

3rd Appreciate It: 57.66s

4th Blue Lord: 60.33s

Banbridge would probably have been second had he not fallen at the last when intimidated by the winner. This would have ranked as a career best for him, given he was trying to give 10lb to the winner.

An even early gallop was followed by a sharp increase in the pace as they ran downhill. Thereafter, from the nine-furlong point, Energumene pressed on, getting faster through each of the next seven furlongs, as represented by the descending line from a mile and a furlong to two miles.

He then tired through the final furlong, which he was entitled to do after a 20-month hiatus from the track.

Whereas conditions dictated that Jonbon ground out success, this was the performance that displayed relentless sustained speed and, as such, was very impressive.

It is impossible to say whether Jonbon could have lived with Energumene in the second half of the Hilly Way, but we can look at his last 10 races to find that the fastest finish he has achieved is represented by an FSP of 107.18% in the Shloer Chase this year at Cheltenham, 2.65% slower than Energumene in the Hilly Way.

The Race IQ jumping data that they produced is interesting. Jonbon has been something of an indifferent jumper throughout his career, despite his tremendous win record.

This was better from him though. He left his hind legs in the second fence (Ditch) losing 7.25mph, but was visually efficient thereafter and particularly good over the final three fences.

The Race IQ data shows that he gained 2.39 lengths on the field with his jumping and gained a Jump Index score of 8.6 out of 10, which represents how efficient and fast he was over his fences.

This score is a career second best, bettered only by a 9.4 score, when he won the Maghull Novices Chase at Aintree in 2023.

Despite that mistake at the second, the climbing nature from the 10th fence shows how well he jumped at the final three fences.

Best leap

His best leap came at the third last, where he gained 1.08 lengths on the field and only lost 3.99mph.

According to the data, Energumene jumped better than Jonbon. He gained a Race IQ Jump Index rating of 9 out of 10. This is typical for him and he was very good in the latter part of the race, gaining 1.93 lengths on the field at the second last and 2.73 lengths at the last.

His jumping was consistently good, gaining ground at eight of the 11 fences.

The downward turn trajectory of his jumping line at the ninth fence represents his only mistake, which cost him 1.24 lengths on the field, and he lost 7.86mph. Apart from that, this was an excellent display of jumping.

This was an electric return to action for Energumene and puts him firmly in the Queen Mother Champion Chase picture. Jonbon did what he had to in the conditions and jumped better than is sometimes the case, but I would much rather take the 6/1 on offer for Energumene than take the 5/2 about Jonbon.

A clash between the two at Ascot in the Clarence House chase has been mentioned and that will be a most revealing clash.