Mike Vince recalls a magical moment at Sandown Park when Moscow Flyer lived up to his champion status in the 2004 Tingle Creek Chase.
Those fortunate enough to have raced at Sandown will need no reminding of what a wonderful theatre it is to watch racing, especially jumping, and the Tingle Creek Chase has proved every year that it's a case of right race, right course, right time of year.
The 13 obstacles in the Sandown two miles, including the three railway fences and the pond, provide a great test for horse and rider - and it has a roll of honour to match its Grade 1 status.
Back in 1988 a certain Desert Orchid thrilled a packed Esher crowd to land a memorable win, while at the turn of the century came something unique - a three times winner in Flagship Uberalles, who won it for three different trainers and three different jockeys (the middle of his trio came at Cheltenham after Sandown was abandoned).
In 2005 Kauto Star won it for the first time as Paul Nicholls began a sequence of six wins in a row, the last Irish winner was Sizing Europe in 2011 and despite their incredible feats in recent years Sprinter Sacre and Altior have only won the great prize once.
In some such races on both sides of the Irish Sea the ‘good thing’ frightens away the opposition, but one year, memorably, when that didn’t happen was in 2004, which I still believe was the noisiest Sandown finish I can remember - and the wonder of whether the roof was intact.
On that afternoon the select field was headed by Moscow Flyer, the brilliant winner the year before and the hero of Grade 1 romps at Aintree and Punchestown the previous spring. But he was 10 years old.
Lying in wait was the Paul Nicholls hope Azertyuiop who had profited from Moscow unseating Barry Geraghty four out to land the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, and the young gun, Well Chief, good enough to win the Arkle the previous March (with subsequent Gold Cup winner Kicking King in second) having had just one previous start over fences.
Sandown was packed as the drama unfolded.
Cenkos made the running and as they cleared the railway fences the big three took over and it was Moscow Flyer who led them into the straight with the two challengers snapping at his heels and loitering with intent.
It was the finish we all wanted to see, the top three chasers in these islands locked together, but Barry Geraghty on the old warrior proved ‘age shall not weary them’ with the most defiant ‘hands off my title’ message, staying on up the hill to win by a length and a half with Azertyuiop a short head in front of Well Chief in the battle to second.
It’s a race that sits for me alongside Deep Sensation versus Viking Flagship versus Martha’s Son in the Mildmay at Aintree - send footage round the world.
That race and the Sandown two miles is what Britain does best.
