Dan Skelton believes L’Eau du Sud will have to raise the bar again if he is to confirm his superiority over defending champion Jonbon in the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown Park on Saturday.
The seven-year-old served notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with in all the leading two mile chases this season with a commanding victory over Jonbon in the Grade Two Shloer Chase at Cheltenham earlier this month.
But, having watched L’Eau du Sud storm to glory over course distance last season in the Grade One Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, it has left Skelton excited about his chances of further top level success at the Esher venue.
Skelton said: “He is very well and I don’t really have any negatives. It is hard to say he is going to have improved since Cheltenham, but I think a similar run will get him very close to winning. I’m sure he will run a very solid race and there will be no excuses.
“A horse like Jonbon, who is now a year older, with a run under his belt will do him the world of good no doubt.
“It is handy when they win around the track in similar conditions as it means you can go back there full of hope. I’m looking forward to it. We will go there though in as good a form as we can have him and if he runs like he does at Cheltenham I’m sure he will go very close."
However, the Shelfield Green handler is well-aware that Nicky Henderson’s 10-time Grade One winner Jonbon is likely to finish much closer to his rising star on this occasion around a course and distance he has only been beaten around once in six starts.
And while Skelton, who is chasing a first win in the race, has the utmost respect for both Il Etait Temps and Jonbon, he is confident the Lord Du Sud gelding belongs in exalted company.
Skelton added: “Whether he can beat Il Etait Temps and Jonbon, who has a run under his belt, I don’t know.
“There is no doubt Jonbon will be closer to us. Sandown Park is Jonbon’s favourite track and you have to expect Jonbon to be one of the biggest players.
“I don’t think there will be much between any of them on the day. Put it this way, Jonbon would be favourite if he hadn’t run at Cheltenham as that is his stomping ground.
“Expectation is the wrong word as you can’t be expectant against the sort of horses he is going to come up against as they are Grade One rockets, but I think we belong in that grade now and I think he will be a solid player.”
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