Cheltenham Festival Focus: Jonbon, Noble Yeats, Facile Vega and co make it a week to remember

• Daryl has a 14/1 chance for the Mares Chase

• Jonbon v Edwardstone time analysis

• All the week's action who to like who to avoid

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Last Sunday at Navan, Fil Dor won on his chase debut over the smart Saint Roi. The pair pulled well clear of their rivals in what looked like a good race on paper. The four-year-old received eight pounds from Saint Roi, who jumped poorly for much of the race on his chase debut.

Fil Dor is now a 10/1 chance for the Arkle, but I would prefer something other than five-year-olds for this race - they tend to come unstuck at the turn of the year when they lose their weight allowance.

On Tuesday at Punchestown, Sandor Clegane - second to Facile Vega in a Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown last year - bolted up when he stepped up in trip to 2m5f on this occasion. He won as he liked, and connections suggested the Albert Bartlett 16/1 as the target. The form looks no more than average.

The even-money favourite Demandrivingthevan - a horse I mentioned on week one that I was not keen on finished a well-beaten fourth, and the remainder doesn't look up to much. Still, he couldn't have been more impressive.

Useful Novice Chaser Beauport could only manage a laboured second at Haydock on Wednesday as last year's Albert Bartlett fourth Ballygrifincottage strode to an easy victory in a three-runner contest. He is as short as 12/1 for the Brown Advisory. Again, I am not a fan of the Albert Bartlett form from last year, and I am still keen to stay away from it.

Tellmesomethinggirl will improve no-end

On Thursday at Thurles, Tellmesomethinggirl was beaten by Willie Mullins' improving Glengouly, who made all and found plenty at the finish. He looks like a nice horse who could easily go on to rate much higher. Still, I was taken with the runner-up, who has needed her first outing each year outside of her Maiden Hurdle win in 2020 and is a horse whose connections have not been shy in saying they work back from March.

She is entered in both Grade 1 2m Chases at Xmas against the boys, but on this evidence, it's doubtful that she will play a hand in the Arkle or any of the leading Novice events.

Still, it was not a performance to brush over. She has the option of the Mares Chase, for which Betfair pushed her out to the top price of 14/1. That looks extremely generous to me as she will only improve, and there was plenty to like about the way she warmed to the jumping task.

I was very much hoping for a narrow defeat and for the book to push her out. I am happy to advise her as a selection this week, especially with the favourite Allegorie De Vassy on the missing list and Ellimay having taken a backward step on return. This division looks wide open.

Gelino Bello had little to beat at Exeter when scoring in a two-runner affair over City Chief on Friday, but backers should be concerned about him jumping out to the right. It was similar to his debut performance but far more obvious here. I can leave him alone at 20/1 for the Brown Advisory.

On Saturday at Sandown, Authorized Speed continued his good start over hurdles by demolishing his field (and almost the final hurdle) when scoring by six easy lengths. His overall time was five lengths quicker than Love Envoi, who won over the same course and distance.

He is a proper 145 horse, and it would be no surprise to see him return for the Grade 1 Tolworth. He is a 25/1 chance for the Supreme and the Ballymore, and the runner-up, Immortal, of Nicky Henderson's, also looks like a useful recruit.

Jonbon finally delivers a 160-time performance!

Jonbon was given a clean slate with me this season over fences, but as many of you know, I have been hesitant with him. I wanted to wait until I saw a 160 Arkle-like performance, and Saturday was the day he finally delivered it.

Jonbon made all of the running in a small field contest where his only real challenger was the useful Boothill, who was worthy of a rating of 148 before the race - but he could not lay a glove on the Nicky Henderson's runner who bounded from fence to fence effortlessly.

His bare form may not be up to much, but he has now clocked a time figure in my book worthy of an Arkle favourite, for which he is still skinny at 7/4. My previous worry with him was his finishing effort, but I could not have been more wrong, given what he showed this day.

The slight concern will still be what will happen when he is taken on for the lead because he wasn't as speedy as it may have visually looked, but this was not a day for me to knock on his performance.

On the same card, Edwardstone was an excellent winner of the Betfair Grade 1 Tingle Creek. He came from off the robust early pace and won going away. He was held up at the rear of the field and benefitted from a pace collapse. Still, it was an excellent performance to win by nine lengths, and he is now 11/4 for the Champion Chase after this superb performance.

The disappointing return of Shishkin, who could only manage third, saw him pushed to 10/1, and there were few excuses for him having also been held up with his trainer suggesting he has lost a yard of pace and will go up in distance.

Edwardstone V Jonbon

The Tingle Creek was run much faster from the landing side of the first flight to the third last than Jonbon's Henry VIII Novices Chase.

Edwardstone (held up at the rear) arrived at the fifth flight in 1.37.53, while Jonbon got there in 1.40.10, a ten- lengths deficit for Jonbon.

Edwardstone (right) maintained that ten-length lead at the seventh flight (above).

By the third last Edwardstone had increased his lead by a further 3.5 lengths (13.5 lengths ahead of Jonbon).

This comparison, if the race stopped at three out, would have me writing a completely different review of Jonbon's performance and ripping him apart. However, Jonbon's finishing effort from three out (pond fence) to the line was the eye-catching part. He was almost ten lengths faster than Edwardstone.

Despite these two races running entirely differently and Jonbon's much slower mid-race time perhaps allowing him for a faster finishing sectional than Edwardstone, he comes out very favourably overall on the circuit time.

Aidan Coleman clocked almost spot-on fractions, and his mount won, going away with ease up the Sandown hill. In contrast, the Tingle Creek leaders went far too hard but there was only five lengths covering the entire field, so Edwardstone's performance deserves an upgrade.

Edwardstone = 3.46.78
Jonbon = 3.47.78

The overall circuit times suggest Jonbon is on the verge of a 160 performance but it also suggests Edwardstone could have probably clocked faster.

Jonbon's jumping is an outstanding asset, and the speed he can get from A-B will see him make considerable ground. He now ticks all the boxes, and bookies are rightly running scared of him.

We are yet to see any real Irish contenders come out of the woodwork in this division, but for now, he sets a very high standard - easily the best of a below-par British contingent.

However, it is below what Edwardstone set last year, so this is no open-and-shut case for the Arkle just yet.

Facile success sees Vega shorten in Supreme

Facile Vega was cut to 5/4 for the Supreme Novice Hurdle on the back of an excellent hurdle debut. His jumping was very good in parts and sloppy in others, but his engine remains his biggest asset. He was never off the bridle, and his jockey Paul Townend never moved his hands on the reigns.

It was exceptional the way he bounded clear. His form has stacked up everywhere you look. The time of the race overall was 27 lengths slower than the division one Maiden Hurdle won by Joyeux Machin, who was six lengths behind Facile Vega in a bumper last year. That tells you all you need to know about the poor opposition, and he won in no more than a hack canter.

This was a very good introduction to hurdles but the price cut is a little strange given we learnt nothing new.

From Grand National to Gold Cup?

Noble Yeats was well-backed and powered home in the Many Clouds Chase to take the scalp of Drashel Drasher and Ahoy Senor. It was a really eye-popping finish from the Grand National winner, who showed plenty of speed from three out to the finish.

He clocked a time 12 lengths faster than Brave Seasca, who had run over 2m4f.

He is still only seven and about to reach his prime and could still be improving, and the Gold Cup must be on the agender for connections for which he was cut into 10/1 with Betfair. Plenty will attempt to knock him and suggest he is a flat-track horse. Still, there is little real evidence of that, given the progression he has shown since scoring in the Grand National, and it must be remembered they minded the handicap mark for the National last season.

I was seriously impressed with him!

We will pick up all of Sunday's vital action at Fairyhouse in next week's column! Be lucky