Jonbon showed his class as the leading horse of the two-mile chasing division, beating Energumene by six and a half lengths to win the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.

It was a ninth Grade One success for the 8-13 favourite, trained by Nicky Henderson, and followed December’s historic victory in the Tingle Creek.

This latest win will only strengthen Jonbon’s case to be favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Willie Mullins’ Energumene was undone in the Clarence House by Jonbon’s stablemate Shishkin in 2022, while Jonbon fell to a shock defeat by Elixir De Nutz last year when the race was moved to Cheltenham.

Jockey Nico de Boinville ensured there would be no repeat of that loss, allowing the nine-year-old to make the running throughout before pulling away from his main rival after the penultimate fence.

“What a horse,” Henderson told ITV Sport. “He was very fresh and nearly too much on it. We weren’t setting out to make the running but he [De Boinville] didn’t have much option after [Jonbon] went out of the gate and was really keen for it.

“Nico set off with only one intention, it was a brave way to do and the right way to do it. The horse loves it.”

Energumene came in second at 9-4, while Edwardstone was third in the four-horse race, ahead of Boothill.