Dan Skelton's highly-rated L'Eau Du Sud, ridden by Harry Skelton, dominated a depleted field in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, leaving Jonbon a distant second.
The conditions on the day proved unfavourable for all runners, with strong winds and heavy rain making it difficult to maintain momentum. Despite this, L'Eau Du Sud breezed through the contest, never allowing his rivals any space to challenge. Harry Skelton was keen to assert control from an early stage, riding the winner like a champion in waiting.
Jonbon, however, was unable to keep pace with L'Eau Du Sud's blistering pace, and by the time the latter began to slow down, Jonbon had dropped out of contention. The hat-trick-seeking favourite had been well-beaten at Sandown 12 months ago before a significant improvement, but it now looks as though he still has some work to do.
Victory for L'Eau Du Sud not only marked a career-best performance from the five-year-old, but also highlighted his ability to thrive on challenging conditions. Skelton attributed the win to the fact that his horse was 'ready' for the test, stating that the conditions may have made Jonbon look good compared to the rest of the field.
The trainer's decision to run L'Eau Du Sud at Cheltenham rather than Warwick in the Kingmaker was vindicated on the day. Skelton has been open about his horse's previous struggles with racing, but he now looks like a different animal. While it remains to be seen how he will handle some of the bigger fences, the likes of the Tingle Creek and Champion Chase are likely to be in L'Eau Du Sud's sights.
Skelton was cautious when discussing Jonbon's prospects for the future, acknowledging that his rival has "blown the cobwebs away" after a lacklustre performance at Sandown. He went on to say that it was unlikely Jonbon would run again until next season, but hinted that he may not have seen his best form yet.
The victory marked a significant step forward for L'Eau Du Sud and his connections, who are now poised to take on the bigger fences in the coming months.
The conditions on the day proved unfavourable for all runners, with strong winds and heavy rain making it difficult to maintain momentum. Despite this, L'Eau Du Sud breezed through the contest, never allowing his rivals any space to challenge. Harry Skelton was keen to assert control from an early stage, riding the winner like a champion in waiting.
Jonbon, however, was unable to keep pace with L'Eau Du Sud's blistering pace, and by the time the latter began to slow down, Jonbon had dropped out of contention. The hat-trick-seeking favourite had been well-beaten at Sandown 12 months ago before a significant improvement, but it now looks as though he still has some work to do.
Victory for L'Eau Du Sud not only marked a career-best performance from the five-year-old, but also highlighted his ability to thrive on challenging conditions. Skelton attributed the win to the fact that his horse was 'ready' for the test, stating that the conditions may have made Jonbon look good compared to the rest of the field.
The trainer's decision to run L'Eau Du Sud at Cheltenham rather than Warwick in the Kingmaker was vindicated on the day. Skelton has been open about his horse's previous struggles with racing, but he now looks like a different animal. While it remains to be seen how he will handle some of the bigger fences, the likes of the Tingle Creek and Champion Chase are likely to be in L'Eau Du Sud's sights.
Skelton was cautious when discussing Jonbon's prospects for the future, acknowledging that his rival has "blown the cobwebs away" after a lacklustre performance at Sandown. He went on to say that it was unlikely Jonbon would run again until next season, but hinted that he may not have seen his best form yet.
The victory marked a significant step forward for L'Eau Du Sud and his connections, who are now poised to take on the bigger fences in the coming months.
i'm so hyped for l'eau du sud he totally dominated that field 
the conditions were tough but he just breezed through it like a pro 
and harry skelton's riding skills are simply insane 
jonbon tried his best but just couldn't keep up 
anyway, i'm loving l'eau du sud's newfound confidence 
like, it's always ruining my video game marathons, can't even get a decent frame rate when it's pouring outside. And you know what they say about the weather... I was watching that new Netflix show the other day and I had no idea who the lead actor was until he started talking, then suddenly I knew 
guess I need to brush up on my celebrity trivia.
. But seriously have you ever noticed how some trainers are like "oh we trained this horse for the biggest prize" but then they lose and it's all "oh well, at least we tried"? Like what's wrong with admitting defeat? 
.
. Skelton's right about Jonbon blowing his own cobwebs away too 
. Not sure when he'll be back in the saddle again, but hopefully next season will bring some better form 
.
Still, it's clear that Skelton has done his homework on Jonbon, and now they're just going to have to wait and see how he bounces back.
. I mean, it was obvious he's got some pace, but it's how he handled those strong winds and heavy rain that really stood out. It's like Skelton said, his horse just looked ready to go from the start.
. and now they're gonna take on some of the bigger fences, i'm so here for it 
and Harry Skelton is the perfect rider for him 
. Conditions were harsh, but L'Eau Du Sud still managed to breeze through it like it was a Sunday stroll 
. Jonbon's loss is actually good for everyone else 
! I mean, dominating a depleted field in those nasty conditions? That takes skill and teamwork. Harry Skelton rode that horse like a pro, and it showed 
.
. Skelton's comment about his rival blowing away the cobwebs is spot on, though - Jonbon still needs to prove himself in some big races 
. L'Eau Du Sud's stats are insane, won the race in 2m 28s and had a speed rating of 169 
. And, let's be real, L'Eau Du Sud looks like a serious contender for the Tingle Creek and Champion Chase 
, which is huge! He's definitely got some work to do before he can take on the likes of Shantou Star and Veros 
. And Skelton is right, the field was depleted, so it's not like he ran against an elite squad. I'm not saying L'Eau Du Sud didn't deserve to win, but come on, Jonbon had some serious work to do to catch up. Maybe he just needs more time? 
i feel like L'Eau Du Sud was just really meant to shine today, you know? he's been working so hard and proving himself against tough conditions... it's amazing to see him overcome his struggles and come out on top 
! Harry Skelton must be an incredible jockey for how smoothly he rode the horse 
. anyway, yay for L'Eau Du Sud and his amazing team!