Jonbon emerged as a convincing winner of his much-anticipated first meeting with the dual Champion Chase winner Energumene in the Clarence House Chase on Saturday, making all the running on the way to a six-and-a-half-length success which confirmed his status as the warm favourite for this year’s Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.

The two principals went into Saturday’s race at Ascot with near-identical records of 11 wins from 13 chase starts, but Jonbon had a narrow 7-6 lead in Grade One races over fences and is also two years younger than his 11-year-old opponent.

Nico de Boinville immediately sent Nicky Henderson’s star two-miler into the lead and while Paul Townend, on Energumene, edged to within striking distance around the home turn, Jonbon quickly powered clear between the final two fences and confirmed his win with a big jump at the last.

“He was very fresh and gassy today so I was just trying to find a rhythm,” De Boinville said. “It was trying to keep a lid on him really. He answered every call and he was very quick with his feet.”

Jonbon is now a clear favourite for the Champion Chase at around 5-4, with Gaelic Warrior, a stable companion of Energumene at the Willie Mullins stable, next in the list at 7-2.