Ben Pauling Treble and Jonbon’s Historic Grade 1 Headline a Memorable Ascot Card

Saturday, 14 February 2026 at Ascot produced one of the most memorable National Hunt cards of the season, combining a historic Grade 1 performance from Jonbon with an outstanding training treble from Ben Pauling and a valuable handicap chase success for Tom Lacey.

1:15, Betfair Novices’ Hurdle (Class 2, GBB Race), 2m 3f

**Winner:** Mondoui’boy (8/11F), Ben Jones / Ben Pauling

Ben Pauling and his stable jockey Ben Jones opened their account early with the exciting Mondoui’boy, who obliged as the odds-on favourite in the Betfair Novices’ Hurdle. The winner had to take a step forward on the day, as Pauling acknowledged, but he jumped with admirable fluency. Kildinan Prince (28/1) finished a distant second, with Catchintsavo (11/2) third. Six ran. Winning time: 4m 42.16s (slow by 6.86s).

Pauling noted of his winner: “He had to take a step forward today and he was very quick in and out. Ben has just got off and said he’s a lovely horse for the future. Cheltenham is three weeks on Tuesday, so we’ll only go there if we think it’s genuinely an option.”

1:50, Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase Grade 2 (Class 1, GBB Race), 3m

**Winner:** The Jukebox Kid (4/9F), Ben Jones / Ben Pauling

The Jukebox Kid put in an assured display of jumping to win the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase by five and a half lengths from Western Knight (9/2). The 4-9 favourite, stablemate of the morning’s first winner, led throughout and was never seriously threatened, his jumping the defining quality of a smooth success. Ben Jones completed the double before lunchtime.

Pauling said: “His jumping is his asset, and this horse can be cold early so I was really pleased to see him jump off and attack his fences.” The Cheltenham Festival remains uncertain for The Jukebox Kid, with Fairyhouse over Easter a possible alternative target.

2:25,[Intermediate race]

3:00, Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap, Class 1, GBB Race) — 2m 7f 185y

**Winner:** Montregard (100/30), J.J. Burke / Tom Lacey

Tom Lacey landed a big-pot handicap chase with Montregard, who saw off David Pipe’s Gericault Roque after the last by two and three-quarter lengths in the Betfair Swinley Handicap Chase. The seven-year-old, trained at Leominster, had been a course-and-distance winner in November before being pulled up at Kempton and bumping into The Jukebox Kid on his return to Ascot last month. With Pauling’s charge franking the form earlier in the afternoon, the 100/30 chance came good in the £56,950 prize race.

Lacey was delighted: “I’m absolutely over the moon. To win a hundred-thousand-pound race at Ascot is what you want. I felt he deserved a nice go at a nice pot off a low weight, and it has paid off.” The victory opens up a possible Kim Muir entry at Cheltenham.

3:35, Betfair Ascot Chase (Grade 1, GBB Race), 2m 5f 13y

**Winner:** Jonbon (4/9F), Nico de Boinville / Nicky Henderson

The main event of the day, and arguably of the jumps season so far, was delivered in full by Jonbon and Pic D’Orhy. Henderson’s JP McManus-owned 10-year-old claimed his 12th Grade 1 success, defeating the two-time defending champion Pic D’Orhy (5/2) by one and a half lengths in a race that was genuinely in the balance into the final furlong. Blow Your Wad (33/1) was a remote third, 14 lengths further back. Six ran. Winning time: 5m 17.35s.

For the full race narrative, see the dedicated Betfair Ascot Chase Replay Review.

4:10,[Further race]

4:45, Fiercely Proud completes Ben Pauling treble

Ben Pauling completed a memorable 21-1 treble at the meeting, with Fiercely Proud adding a third winner to his tally on the day. Pauling noted: “Last Saturday was one of the worst days of my racing career. This lad has had his day over two miles, but he now wants further. That was a very good ride.”

Meeting Summary

The Ascot card of 14 February 2026 was defined by Ben Pauling’s three-winner afternoon, Jonbon’s continuation of his Ascot dominance, and Tom Lacey’s valuable handicap victory. The aggregated results confirm the meeting as one of the more significant National Hunt fixtures of the winter, with multiple Cheltenham Festival pointers emerging from the card.