Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Knickerbockerglory record when fresh
Knickerbockerglory hasn't run since finishing fourth in the Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton in May but his excellent record when fresh suggests he's likely to be fit and firing on all cylinders in the two-mile handicap hurdle (14:25) at Sandown, which he is bidding to win for the second year in succession.
Knickerbockerglory was runner-up on his bumper debut in November 2020 and was only fourth on his hurdling debut in October 2021, but he has made a successful seasonal reappearance in each of the last three campaigns.
Admittedly, he had only one rival to beat on his return in November 2022, when he made a successful chasing debut at Ffos Las, but he has faced tougher tests the last two seasons.
He ran out a dominant winner of a useful handicap hurdle at Ascot in November 2023 and justified favouritism when an eight-length winner of this corresponding contest 12 months ago. Knickerbockerglory was allowed an uncontested lead on his return last season, so was seen to good effect, but he still deserves credit for how readily he saw off the challenge of topweight Nemean Lion who went on to win his next three starts. In contrast, Knickerbockerglory failed to add to his tally, but he ran creditably in some competitive affairs and has likely been primed for this assignment.
Il Etait Temps tops two-mile chase ratings
Only five runners are set to head to post in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (15:00) but the race features Timeform's two highest-rated horses in the two-mile division in Il Etait Temps (172) and Jonbon (170).
Il Etait Temps was a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler and a three-time Grade 1 winner as a novice chaser, but was slightly overshadowed by higher-profile stablemates such as Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File.
He underlined his status as a top-class performer, however, when slamming Jonbon by five and a half lengths in the Celebration Chase on the final day of the British jumps season, putting up the best performance in the division on his first start since the Punchestown Festival the previous year.
It's possible that Jonbon will put up a sterner challenge than he managed in the Celebration Chase, which came at the end of another tough but successful campaign, and only a few weeks after his victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree. However, Il Etait Temps is the coming force in the division and the only horses in training rated higher are the stayers Galopin des Champs (175), Fact To File (174), Inothewayurthinkin (174) and Gaelic Warrior (173).
O'Connell suited by stiff test of stamina
The going on the chase course at Sandown won't be as testing as on the hurdles track but the concluding London Marathon (15:35), contested over just shy of three miles and five furlongs, is still likely to provide a thorough examination of stamina.
Such a test should be in the favour of O'Connell, who progressed well last season, winning on three occasions before signing off with arguably his best effort yet when runner-up in the Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle over a trip in excess of three miles and seven furlongs.
Prior to the Eider, O'Connell had stayed on strongly to win the Masters Handicap Chase at Sandown. Dropping down to three miles wouldn't have been ideal following his comfortable victory in the Lincolnshire National over nearly three and a half miles at Market Rasen, but heavy ground at Sandown placed the emphasis firmly on stamina and O'Connell stormed up the hill to hit win going away by two and three-quarter lengths.
That performance means O'Connell has Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag on his return to Sandown, while he also has the Horse In Focus Flag having shaped really well on his reappearance over three and a quarter miles at Carlisle last month. He made eye-catching late headway to run on into a place and that should tee him up nicely for stiffer tests of stamina this winter, starting with the London National.
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