Boothill will face a familiar challenge as he prepares to take on Jonbon once more in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown next Saturday.
Trained by Harry Fry, the talented two-mile chaser began last season with consecutive handicap victories at Ascot but endured setbacks with falls at Kempton and Newbury. He concluded his campaign with a solid fourth-place finish behind Jonbon in Sandown’s Celebration Chase, and once again chased home Nicky Henderson’s star when runner-up in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham earlier this month.
Jonbon is expected to be the odds-on favourite as he bids for a second Tingle Creek crown, and Fry acknowledges the scale of the task. However, he is confident Boothill has earned his place in the prestigious field.
"Boothill is very much on target for the Tingle Creek," said Fry. "He’s come out of the Shloer Chase in really good form, and we were delighted with his run."
"He deserves to take his chance at Sandown, although we’ll be up against Jonbon and Edwardstone, who are top-class. If Jonbon runs his race, he’ll be very hard to beat."
"That said, Boothill has shown he belongs at this level. We’ll roll the dice and see – one day, the race might go his way."
The Tingle Creek promises to be a thrilling clash, with Boothill aiming to close the gap on his illustrious rival and possibly pull off an upset.