Saturday afternoon sees the curtain come down on a memorable 2025/26 National Hunt campaign. As ever, Sandown sets the stage for Jump Finale Day, with the Esher venue laying on a cracking eight-race card to send the domestic season out in style.
The bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase is traditionally the biggest betting heat of the day, but topping the bill from a class perspective is the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase. One of the newer additions to the top-tier chasing programme, this 2m contest first appeared in 2001. With the foot-and-mouth crisis leading to the cancellation of the Cheltenham Festival that year, this race was introduced as a replacement for the Queen Mother Championship Chase.
The 2000 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, Edredon Bleu, won the inaugural edition, and the race has continued to attract a high calibre of performer ever since. Looking ahead to the 2026 renewal, seven runners remain in contention. Included in that number are two from the yard of champion trainer Dan Skelton, a tenacious Irish raider, and one of the most popular chasers in training – the wonderful Jonbon.
Jonbon to Join Altior in the Record Books?
Despite its relative youth, the Celebration Chase has already witnessed five multiple winners. Cenkos, Greaneteen, Sire De Grugy, and Jonbon all have two wins to their names, while the brilliant Nicky Henderson-trained Altior stands alone as the only three-time winner.
This year, Jonbon may attempt to equal the feat of the former Henderson stable star. Included among an incredible 12 Grade 1 triumphs of the JP McManus-owned runner are wins in the 2023 and 2024 editions of this April highlight. He came up short in his hat-trick bid in 2025 when no match for Il Etait Temps. However, time has shown there was no shame in that, with the Willie Mullins star running out a ready winner of the 2026 Queen Mother Champion Chase.
With Il Etait Temps heading to Punchestown for his final start of the season, Jonbon is the current Celebration Chase favourite at a general 6/4. Given his overall body of work and record at Sandown – five wins from seven starts – the 10-year-old is a worthy market leader. However, there are dangers lurking should he fail to bring his best form to the track.
Ask Up to the Task for Skelton?
On the day that he will finally receive his British Champion Trainer award, Dan Skelton has two entries for the big Grade 1 event. Having produced a huge career best to register a 50/1 shock in the Maghull Novices’ Chase last time, Mirabad bids to keep the good times rolling.
It would be no surprise to see Mirabad outrun his odds once again. However, the market suggests that Skelton’s best chance of claiming a first Celebration Chase lies with one of the most improved horses in training.
Joining Skelton in September 2025, Thistle Ask began life in Warwickshire on a chase mark of 115. Five starts and four wins later, he has risen to a lofty rating of 160. Following Grade 2 victories at Exeter and Kempton, the nine-year-old had a first crack at Jonbon in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase. While overhauled on the run to the line that day, he posted his usual bold, front-running effort to go down by just three lengths. With that experience under his belt, and arriving fresher than many in the field, he is a best price of 15/8 to turn the tables with his Clarence House conqueror.
Solness to Strike for Ireland?
Despite the nation’s dominance of British racing, the Celebration Chase has headed to Ireland on just three occasions. In 2026, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness is the only remaining Irish runner in the field.
While holding alternative engagements at Punchestown, O’Brien may opt to send this tough and talented star to Sandown rather than butt heads with the likes of Il Etait Temps, Marine Nationale, and Majborough on home soil. Last sighted going down by a neck in the Melling Chase at the Grand National meeting, Solness’s rating of 165 is identical to that of Jonbon. This may come a bit quick after his Aintree exertions, but he will rate a big threat to all if taking his place in the line-up.
Joe Tizzard’s Grade 2 winner JPR One, the admirable veteran Edwardstone, and course and distance winner Brookie complete the list of potential runners in the final Grade 1 of the British season. This race is scheduled for 2:55pm on Saturday when we will discover who comes out on top and ends their campaign with a bang.