Nic Doggett's horse-by-horse guide and selection for Saturday's Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown.
Boothill (Harry Fry)
Something of an Ascot specialist with his last two wins coming there two years ago, but has suffered mixed fortunes since, falling three times in seven subsequent starts. Not a million miles off Jonbon in the Celebration Chase and Shloer Chase in 2024 but looks on the decline now and his reappearance last month offered little encouragement (pulled up).
Edwardstone (Alan King)
Very solid Sandown record, including an impressive Henry VIII Novices’ Chase victory back in 2021 and this race a year later, but took a heavy fall in last year’s renewal and hasn’t been able to find his best form since, including when 31 lengths behind L’Eau Du Sud in the Shloer at Cheltenham last month. An 11-year-old now, and looks up against it once more.
Il Etait Temps (Willie Mullins)
Enjoyed a stellar novice chase campaign in 2023/24, his only defeats coming behind stablemate Gaelic Warrior before emphatically turning the tables on that rival at Punchestown, and continued his progress when beating Jonbon by five and a half lengths in the Celebration Chase over C&D on his sole start last term. Made a visually impressive return – stretching his winning streak to four – at Clonmel last month and has coped well with these conditions in the past, so looks the one to beat.
Jonbon (Nicky Henderson)
Outstanding – if sometimes a little underrated – chaser of the modern era, his 18 wins including the last two renewals of this race (including by eight lengths from Quilixios last season). Possibly feeling the effects of a long season when no match for Il Etait Temps here in April, and heavy defeat by L’Eau Du Sud at Cheltenham last month where he didn’t jump well could suggest that his star is on the wane. To counter that, his Cheltenham record isn’t as good as elsewhere, his trainer thinks he badly needed the run, and this race is likely to have been Plan A for a long time.
L’Eau Du Sud (Dan Skelton)
Not as good as most of these over hurdles but has progressed very quickly over fences, his wins including the Henry VIII over C&D on this card, but his best run last term arguably came when only beaten a length and a half into fourth in the Arkle won by Jango Baie. Seamlessly put a disappointing run at Aintree behind him when surging 15 lengths clear of Jonbon in the Shloer at Cheltenham on his return to action last month and looks an exciting prospect, though it should be noted that his trainer had him very fit for that first run of the campaign.
Libberty Hunter (Evan Williams)
Ran well when second to Master Chewy in the Game Spirit at Newbury last term and was only four lengths down when falling three out in the Champion Chase won by Marine Nationale the following month. Again came a cropper, this time at the sixth, in the Shloer last month. Solid sort, but yet to win outside of handicap company over fences and it would be a surprise were he to change that here.
Verdict
This looks to be very much a case of two races in one, with Libberty Hunter, Edwardstone and Boothill - probably in that order – bidding to take fourth spot behind the leading trio.
With the ground having gone against him, Jonbon – whose jumping sometimes falters in the mud - may have to give best in his hat-trick bid to the younger pair of IL ETAIT TEMPS and L’Eau Du Sud.
Preference is for Willie Mullins’ ace who is very progressive and his back catalogue of form reads stronger than that of Dan Skelton’s runner; he can give his trainer a first win in the race since 2016 (Un De Sceaux).
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