El Fabiolo is set to run in Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase (3.37) at Ascot, despite market fears on Tuesday evening.
Initially an odds-on favourite to win this weekend’s showdown with Jonbon, Willie Mullins’ superstar drifted in the odds amid fears he would not run due to fears over conditions.
However, Patrick Mullins confirmed the gelding will take to the track at Ascot, provided the meeting goes ahead.
He said: “We brought him up the Curragh yesterday and he worked very well, Paul [Townend] rode him. Paul plans to head to Ascot at the weekend.
El Fabiolo and Paul Townend won the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Steeplechase at Cork last time out
“As long as the race looks like it will go ahead we’ll take the boat on Thursday afternoon. If it’s called off, we’ll come home and probably go to the Dublin Racing Festival which is right on our doorstep and great money as well.”
Speaking to Sporting Life, El Fabiolo’s owner Simon Munir said: “Weather permitting it will be a great spectacle that we are all looking forward to watching.”
A rivalry renewed
It will be the third time the six-year-old has gone head-to-head with Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, the latest of which came at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
After being defeated by a neck in a Novices’ Hurdle affair at Aintree in 2022, El Fabiolo stormed back to score by six lengths in the Arkle in a display where some imperfect jumps went unpunished by his rival.
Patrick Mullins said: “He [Jonbon] looks like a horse that’s improving all the time. He’s obviously a high-class horse. I think we were very unlucky not to beat him in the Novices’ Hurdle and got hampered at the third-last.
Jonbon is set to rival El Fabiolo
“I think we beat him well at Cheltenham last year but you never know. The score stands at 1-1, hopefully we can make it 2-1 but obviously there will be another rematch later if we don’t. It’s a bit like one of those boxing matches, the trilogies and all that. Hopefully they all get there, and the race pans out as you hope.”
What if it’s called off?
If the clash is rescheduled, El Fabiolo is exceedingly likely to be withdrawn from the contest.
Speaking to the Racing Post, Anthony Bromley, the racing manager for owners Munir and Isaac Souede said: “We wouldn’t travel the horse twice in a week so I wouldn’t think we’d have any interest in a rescheduled race.
“We’ve got to send him over quite early, so once he’s on the wagon it’s either this Saturday or we wait for the Dublin Racing Festival.”
Elixir De Nutz and Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party make up the remainder of the four-strong field.
Watch the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday live on Sky Sports Racing