IF it’s current form you’re after, then Jonbon is probably the answer. But if it’s best-ever form versus best-ever form?

Well, how many Champion Chases have you won?

Here’s a question though: who has raced more often? The 11-year-old Energumene, the dual Champion Chase winner who raced in his first point-to-point - his only point-to-point - in January 2018, or the nine-year-old Jonbon, two years younger, who raced in his first point-to-point, also his only point-to-point, in November 2020, almost three years after Energumene made his competitive debut?

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, given that the question has been posed, Jonbon has raced 19 times, Energumene has raced just 16 times. Coincidentally, they have both been beaten three times, and, also coincidentally, they are both 11 for 13 over fences.

It’s a fascinating clash in the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot today, it’s great that they are both set to run.

Jonbon is two-for-two this season, a Shloer Chase and a Tingle Creek Chase already in the bag, and he is one-for-one at Ascot, albeit over hurdles, he won the Kennel Gate Hurdle there as a novice hurdler on his only visit to the Berkshire track.

Energumene was off the track for over a year and a half before he returned at Cork in December, and he was beaten in this race three years ago on his only run at Ascot.

But he was beaten by Shishkin, in one of the most memorable clashes of recent years in National Hunt racing. And he won the Hilly Way Chase on his return in December, he probably had Banbridge’s measure when that rival departed at the final fence, and Banbridge obviously enhanced that form in the King George.

You can take a view if you want, you can argue the case that 4/6 is too big about Jonbon, or that 9/4 is too big about Energumene.

The latter case is probably the easier case to argue, but this is one for watching and savouring, live sport at its highest level, without the complication of a financial involvement.

Still going strong

Royal Pagaille is 11 too and, as with Energumene, there is no hard proof of a diminution of his abilities, as evidenced in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his debut this season, when he saw off Bravemansgame and Grey Dawning.

Venetia Williams’ horse loves Haydock too, his record there reads 112111, his only defeat coming in the Betfair Chase in 2021, when the Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard beat him. And we know that soft-ground chasing at Haydock is a specialist’s discipline.

But the performance that he put up on his seasonal return may not have been as good as it appeared at the time.

For starters, there was that mistake that Grey Dawning made at the final fence, but for which he may have won. And there is the fact that the same Grey Dawning was well beaten in the King George next time, admittedly after a significant mistake at the first fence.

And there is the third horse, Bravemansgame, also well beaten in the King George, and not the horse that he was when he finished second in the King George last season.

Mr Vango is a player in today’s Sky Bet Peter Marsh Chase, getting buckets of weight from Royal Pagaille, and he was impressive in winning the London National last time, but he is short and he has to prove that he is able to make this big jump up in class. And, while he won his maiden hurdle at Haydock, he was pulled up there in the Prestige Hurdle on his only other visit.

Trelawne has to prove that he can take the step up in class too, but he progressed nicely last season, and he put up a career-best effort on his debut this season when he beat Iroko in a graduation chase over two miles and five and a half furlongs at Haydock, the pair of them clear of Deafening Silence, who ran well in a novices’ handicap chase at Windsor yesterday.

Trelawne relished the soft ground that day and similar conditions today should be in his favour. He is stepping up in trip, but he won over two miles and six furlongs on soft ground over hurdles, and he could improve for the step up to today’s trip over fences.

He was beaten over three miles at Ascot last time, but that was on much better ground and, actually, he didn’t run badly. He should be much happier on the softer terrain today, and he could run a big race.

Bert’s your Uncle

Uncle Bert could go well at a decent price too in the Sky Bet Cheltenham Non Runner No Bet Handicap Hurdle.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ horse was jumping fences in the early part of this season, but he was a progressive hurdler last term, and he put up a good performance to finish third in a competitive handicap hurdle on his return to the smaller obstacles at Aintree on St Stephen’s Day.

Visibility on the day was compromised, but Uncle Bert travelled well through the early parts of the race that we could see, and he stuck to his task well to hold on to third place from Act Of Authority.

The return to softer ground is a positive, he goes well left-handed and, a better hurdler than chaser, at least for now, he could take a nice step forward now, back over hurdles, having got his eye in again over the smaller obstacles last time.

Recommended

Trelawne 2.30 Haydock - 1pt win at 7/2 (general)

Uncle Bert 3.05 Haydock - 1pt win at 12/1 (general)