Jonbon landed the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since the great Kauto Star 18 years ago.
It was an eighth victory at the top Grade One level for Nicky Henderson’s chaser, ridden by Nico de Boinville.
The 8-13 favourite made a couple of jumping errors but still ran out a convincing eight-length winner from Quilixios in wet and windy conditions
“What a horse. It’s quite something, he really did find a lot. It’s hard work and gruelling out there,” said De Bonville.
Edwardstone and Master Chewy both fell, leaving Jonbon with just three rivals and he saw them off with ease.
Jonbon’s odds to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March were cut to 5-2 from 7-2.
It was his 16th victory from 19 races and takes his career prize money past the £1m mark.
“He’s just a real true terrier,” said Henderson, who hoped a cut on the horse’s leg was not serious.
Kauto Star’s two Tingle Creek Chase wins were part of a record-breaking career which included five King George VI Chase victories.
Racing at Sandown went ahead, after two inspections, despite high winds caused by Storm Darragh, but Saturday meetings at Aintree, Chepstow and Wolverhampton were abandoned.
Aintree had been due to stage the Becher Chase over the Grand National fences.
