JONBON, ridden for the first time over jumps by Nico de Boinville, sparked a double on the day for the jockey as well as the owner/trainer combination of J.P. McManus and Nicky Henderson.

The 4/9 favourite was facing just three rivals, but two of those were Grade 1 winners last term, and the other, the winner of this contest for the past two seasons.

In the end, Jonbon didn’t face a strong challenge under more aggressive tactics, taking the race to Editeur Du Gite from an early stage, and led outright four from home.

He kicked on after the next and soon had the others in trouble, with Edwardstone (Alan King/Tom Cannon) running on late under fairly tender handling to finish a nine and a half-lengths second, with Nube Negra (Dan/Harry Skelton) a further seven lengths back in third.

“He didn’t wait for them,” said Henderson of the change in tactics. “He does look like a two-miler there, he’s got to stay there for now because of the Tingle Creek.

“Two and a half looks like it’s getting further away, I’m sure he’d stay but why go there if you don’t have to? I think he’s grown up a lot.”

IBERICO Lord was openly fancied by Nicky Henderson in the featured Greatwood Handicap Hurdle on Sunday, and with Nico de Boinville riding the five-year-old with great confidence, he ran out a ready winner by two and a half lengths from Lookaway (Neil King/Jack Quinlan), with the winner’s stablemate Luccia (James Bowen) filling third spot, seven lengths behind the 7/1 winner.

With owner J.P. McManus in attendance, Henderson was keen to put a strong team together, and ended with three winners at the meeting in the green and gold hoops.

Iberico Lord has shown improved form on his final start of the previous campaign when beaten half a length by stablemate Under Control in the grandly titled Novices’ Championship Final at Sandown’s season curtain-call in April.

The winner of that race has been earmarked for the Gerry Feilden Hurdle at Newbury next week, and Iberico Lord was paying him a handsome compliment in victory.

“It took time for him to get his act together last season,” said the winning trainer of Iberico Lord. “He won a very moderate race at Stratford and it didn’t sound like we were heading for the Greatwood Hurdle at that time. The Sandown run was good, but Under Control might be pretty good, too.”

Rest of the Card

PAUL Robson was mentioned here a few weeks ago as a trainer to note, and he gained his first Cheltenham win courtesy of Cannock Park (Craig Nichol) in the mallardjewellers.com Maiden Hurdle.

The winner was shaping better than an all-out neck victory would imply, and he looks the sort to go on to better things, with the trainer dreaming of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle while more prosaic about immediate targets.

The Jewson Handicap Chase over the extended three miles and three furlongs trip looked very competitive but ended up being won easily by Gavin Cromwell’s Malina Girl (Sean Flanagan), who won the Ulster National on testing ground last season.

A disappointment in the Scottish Grand National in April, Malina Girl was probably unsuited by quicker ground at Ayr, and looks capable of picking up another valuable pot over extended distances, with the Midlands National at Uttoxeter appealing as an ideal target later in the season.

Benefit

Ginny’s Destiny (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) cut out quickly after travelling well on chase debut here last month, but seemed to derive plenty of benefit from that run as he jumped his rivals ragged in the novices’ limited handicap chase, beating Es Perfecto by 10 lengths.

A promising novice hurdler for Tom Lacey last term, he is a chaser on looks and impressed with how he jumped and travelled here. He could do well against more experienced rivals in top-end handicaps in the spring.

Once again there was a listed bumper to conclude the card, and once again Brechin Castle (Ben Brookhouse/Jack Quinlan) looked a potential star. Winner of his only start between the flags, he made quite a strong impression when winning by a wide margin at Sedgefield on his bumper debut and backed that up with a comfortable two and a quarter-length win from Fire Flyer, showing a sharp turn of foot to assert.

Lingfield Saturday

THERE were a pair of listed races on the Polytrack at Lingfield on Saturday, with Blue Trail (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle) winning the mile and a quarter Churchill Stakes by a head from Tyrrhenian Sea.

The 4/1 winner has a good record on artificial surfaces and was the winner of a valuable handicap at Meydan in February. He can be expected to head back to Dubai on the back of this success.

The Golden Rose Stakes, staged over six furlongs, was also quite a close affair, with Willem Twee (James Fanshawe/Oisin Murphy) overcoming a wide trip to get up late for a neck win over Kinta, rewarding backers at an SP of 3/1.

The son of Ribchester didn’t make his return until September but was gaining back-to-back wins and looks a smart sprinting prospect, at least on this surface.