Shloer Chase 2026 final field: Jonbon faces just three rivals

Jonbon will try to win the Shloer Chase for a third time when he heads a field of four for the Grade 2 two-miler on the opening day of Cheltenham’s November Meeting on Friday 13 November (2.20pm).

Nicky Henderson’s ten-year-old is a top price of 10/11 to win back the race he took in 2023 and 2024, and the fact good to soft is now in the going description is in his favour.

Last year’s winner L’Eau Du Sud is not among the field after being ruled out for the season last week, which leaves Jonbon with the highest official rating in the race although he has to give 6lb to every rival, The Shloer Chase is run over 1m7f199y on the Old Course, is worth £56,950 to the winner and is live on Racing TV.

Shloer Chase 2026 runners and riders

Jonbon (Nicky Henderson)

Jonbon is the class act. He won this race at 4/9 and 1/3 in the two years before last season’s defeat, and he bounced back from runner-up finishes here and in the Tingle Creek to win the Clarence House Chase and the Ascot Chase over 2m5f. He then finished second in the Ryanair Chase, beaten ten lengths at 2/1.

That is solid Grade 1 form, but he hasn’t run since March, he is ten, and he was beaten 15 lengths in this race 12 months ago when sent off 5/6. Add the doubt about the ground and many will recoil from backing him at the price. If the going eases, he becomes a much stronger favourite.

Gidleigh Park (Harry Fry)

Harry Fry’s eight-year-old is a course-and-distance winner and his peak performances have indicated what he can do on his day. Last season didn’t produce many of those days, sadly. He was nine lengths second in the 1965 Chase at Ascot, pulled up in the Clarence House Chase after Bryan Carver reported he jumped poorly and ran flat, then weakened into fifth in the Melling Chase at Aintree.

He has been off since April. At 4/1 in places, he is priced on what he might be rather than what he showed last season.

Saint Segal (Jane Williams)

Saint Segal likes to go from the front, so he should decide how the race is run. He was second in the Desert Orchid Chase and the Game Spirit last season before things went wrong in the spring. He made a bad mistake at the first and was pulled up in the Champion Chase, then pulled up again in the Melling Chase.

His return at Ffos Las last month was better. He led until two out over 2m3f on soft ground before fading into fourth. Ciaran Gethings keeps the ride, and one suspects Saint Segal sets the race up for something else.

Mighty Bandit (Warren Greatrex)

The youngest in the field at six, Mighty Bandit improved quickly over fences last winter. He won three handicaps in a row at Newbury and Doncaster, making all twice, before stepping up to Grade 1 company in the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree.

He was fourth there, but it was better than the bare result. He lost his position mid-race, was hampered by a faller three out and stayed on well from the second-last. He is rated 151, so he needs to improve again, but he is the one runner open to a big leap forward. Most of his best form has come on soft ground, which he is unlikely to get.