Betfair Tingle Creek Chase preview: Horse-by-horse guide and tips for Sandown feature
Nic Doggett has a horse-by-horse guide and selection for the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park.
2024 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase
- When: 3.20, Saturday December 7
- Where: Sandown Racecourse, Esher
- First prize: £100,000
- Going: Good To Soft
- TV: ITV1 & Racing TV
BOOTHILL
Hold-up performer who has a fine record fresh, with reappearance win tally added to with victory in a premier handicap at Ascot last November, before following up in the Hurst Park Handicap Chase back there three weeks later.
Continued that theme (following a breathing operation) when chasing home Jonbon in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham last time. That rallying 1½ lengths second as good a performance as he has ever produced, but hard to see any obvious reason why he should reverse the form with Jonbon here.
EDWARDSTONE
Produced a performance out of the top drawer when winning this race from off the pace in 2022 and – after chasing Jonbon home in this race a year ago - added another graded affair under a change of tactics when dominating the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last February.
Beaten when falling in the Champion Chase the following month, but ran one of his best races when four-lengths third to Jonbon in the Celebration Chase over C&D in April (the third time he’d been behind him that season).
Shaped as if retaining all his ability when 2¼ lengths third to the same rival in the Shloer Chase on reappearance at Cheltenham last month and, while likely to come on for the run, has it all to do once more if he’s to turn the tables.
JONBON
Stand-out, top-class chaser (the only one in Britain) who has beaten most of these rivals on more than one occasion over the past 12 months.
Made a shuddering error when narrowly beaten by Elixir de Nutz in the re-routed Clarence House Chase last January, but again jumped well for regular pilot Nico De Boinville when completing his hat-trick in the four-runner Shloer Chase at Cheltenham (also successful in 2023/24) on his reappearance last time.
Prone to being edgy/sweating up beforehand, but remains a wonderfully consistent performer (15 wins and 3 seconds – all defeats at Cheltenham - from 18 career starts) and should have the measure of all of his domestic challengers once more.
JPR ONE
Strong-travelling sort who has shown smart form since going over fences, with his wins last term including the Grade 2 Lightning Novices' Chase at Lingfield (by half a length from Matata).
Produced a career-best effort on reappearance (had a breathing operation over the summer and wore a tongue strap) when beating four rivals in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, travelling well before jumping on at the second last, though the form of that handicap hasn’t really been franked (third, fourth and fifth all beaten since).
The apple of his trainer’s eye – who believes that good ground suits best – but it must be a worry the way he finished his races when he was third in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase over C&D and seventh in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham last term, having travelled well on both occasions.
MASTER CHEWY
Won a novice handicap at Aintree and the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at Kempton in 2023/24, but best performances came in defeat, most notably when falling two out in the Champion Chase (would have been third at worst) and when a head second to Found A Fifty in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices' Chase back at Aintree on his final start that season.
Creditable 3½ lengths fourth to Martator under top-weight in a premier handicap at Ascot on reappearance last month, shaping as if retaining all his ability, but isn’t going to be the easiest to place this season.
QUILIXIOS
2021 Triumph Hurdle winner who bounced back from a long spell on the sidelines with two novice chase wins last term (connections experimented with a variety of trips).
Lost many lengths at the start (not his fault) when held in the Arkle at Cheltenham after, and probably did too much in front when fifth (behind runner-up Master Chewy) in the Maghull at Aintree, but was a well-backed 7/2 chance on reappearance this term when landing the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase at Naas last month.
Won impressively by 7½ lengths from Marine Nationale there, typically jumping well in front, and this test of fencing could prove an ideal next step for this talented front-runner. Respected.
SOLNESS
Admirable six-year-old who has only been out of the frame four times in 14 starts over fences, though none of those starts have come in Grade 1 company.
Kept busy since the summer, winning uncompetitive minor event at Sligo (by 3 lengths from Colonel Mustard) in October but bettering that when a neck second to Found A Fifty in the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan last time, rallying late on.
That form looks iffy (134-rated 200/1 shot beaten less than a length and a half), though, and he's hard to fancy here.
UNEXPECTED PARTY
Smart chaser who was well-backed when adding to his listed novice chase win at Chepstow with success in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Has already had three starts this season, with just four days rest between the last two as he was 13¼ lengths last of four to Jonbon in the Shloer Chase last time, not knocked about late on.
Best form has come on heavy ground going left-handed, so no real reason to expect him to feature prominently here.
Conclusion
As is often the case, Nicky Henderson has had his stable in good form for the start of the main jumps season and there’s no reason to think last year’s winner JONBON – whose Timeform rating of 172 marks him out as the highest-rated chaser based in Britain - won’t become the first horse to defend his Tingle Creek crown successfully since Kauto Star in 2006.
Having said that, the bold-jumping front-runner Quilixios should put some pressure on Jonbon’s jumping as this test looks ideal for Henry de Bromhead’s charge. If there’s any each-way value in the race, he looks to be it at around 6/1, though in truth even that looks a stretch.
Published at 1645 GMT on 2/12/24
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