The Tingle Creek Chase is one of the season’s best races outside of the Cheltenham Festival and it takes place at Sandown on Saturday. There’s a more than decent card to look forward to at the Surrey track on Friday first however.
We have two Grade 2 races on the card and both look very competitive. Both for novices, the Winter Novices' Hurdle takes place at 1.58 and the Esher Novices' Chase follows swiftly after at 2.33.
Racing takes place between 12.48 and 3.35, whilst the going is soft on the hurdles track and good to soft on the chase course.
Here we analyse the two big races of the day and provide a couple of other selections across the entertaining six-race card.
1.58 – Winter Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m4f)
A field of six have been declared and all of them have a significant chance, perhaps with the exception of outsider Ballytechno. James Owen’s 117-rated runner has progressed well to win his last couple of starts but he looks up against it at this sort of level. There’s a big difference between Class 4 novice handicaps and Grade 2 company, which Ballytechno is likely to find out quickly.
The other five runners are very lightly raced over hurdles and look thoroughly unexposed. Bill Joyce represents Jonjo & A.J. O’Neill and comes into the race off the back of a very comfortable victory at Carlisle, on his first start over hurdles last month. He was a smart bumper horse last term and it’s not hard to imagine him being bang in the mix.
Kingston Pride won an ordinary enough maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter recently, although the second did win a claimer next time and has a rating of 123. This son of Kingston Hill is entitled to improve plenty however and it’s likely he will.
Admiral Stewart won a maiden hurdle on his first start over timber recently and whilst the form is untested, progress is anticipated now. Jamie Snowden has some nice horses to go to war with this season and he clearly rates this lad highly.
Pony Soprano won nicely at Exeter over an extended 2m2f when last seen and that form has been boosted by the second, who went on to win his next two starts. The extra furlong and a bit looks likely to suit and he’s the one that looks a tad overpriced in this field.
Paul Nicholls runs QUEBECOIS here and he’s a big, scopey gelding with a big future over fences. That being said, he could be a bit of a weapon over hurdles too, as he won his maiden at Chepstow in the style of a very nice horse. He’ll improve with racing and he looks like the runner with the most potential in this field.
SELECTION: QUEBECOIS @ 5/2
NEXT BEST: PONY SOPRANO @ 10/1
2.33 - Esher Novices' Chase (Grade 2, 3m)
This race was only introduced last year and Paul Nicholls won it with Stay Away Fay. He runs six-year-old Welcome To Cartries this time around. Harry Cobden rides this gelding and he looked smart when winning an Ascot maiden in good style last term, before finishing second in the Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster. Improvement should be on the cards now trying chasing but he may well need the run and it’s a warm enough race on seasonal debut.
HANDSTANDS is another promising sort for trainer Ben Pauling and he was arguably the best of these over hurdles. Beating a Grade 1 winner when taking the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle at Huntingdon, that form is rock-solid and gives him every chance here. Pauling’s gelding needs to perform much better than he did on chase debut but is entitled to improve for the run.
Resplendent Grey wasn’t beaten far when second in a Listed novice chase at Cheltenham last month and that form puts him in the mix. It’s possible that there are one or two runners here with a bit more class but he should run his race once again.
Cadell looks a little overpriced on the form of his comfortable victory over Farnoge and Lucinda Russell’s runner is likely to be a much better chaser than he was a hurdler. Saint Davy was a smart but inconsistent staying handicap hurdler. He was well beaten off 135 in a Uttoxeter handicap in March and has a bit to find on that evidence.
Riskintheground is surely running more with hope than expectation and it would require a few horses to flop in order for him to come out on top.
SELECTION: HANDSTANDS @ 5/2
NEXT BEST: CADELL @ 17/2
1.23 - Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (1m7½f)
Only five runners are set to line up in this £15,000 handicap chase and it could be another one for the Dan and Harry Skelton combination, as MOUNT TEMPEST appears to have every chance.
He was outstayed when finishing fourth at Bangor over an extended 2m4f and the drop back in trip should suit. It’s also reasonable to assume he could improve for the run as it was his first start for 219 days.
The handicapper has dropped him 1lb, leaving him on a 3lb higher mark than when winning easily at Wetherby in January, and he won this race last year off an 8lb lower mark.
Gary Moore has targeted Sandown over the years and he and Josh Moore’s runner Invincible Nao was a good second in a Listed handicap here in March. A replication of that effort off a 2lb higher mark here would give him a huge shout, provided the drop in trip isn’t a problem.
SELECTION: MOUNT TEMPEST @ 7/4
NEXT BEST: INVINCIBLE NAO @ 4/1
3.03 - Bet At Your Best With Betfair Handicap Chase (3m)
This looks like a competitive nine-runner handicap and TEA CLIPPER has plenty of form in the book to suggest he should be winning this. There were signs of a return to form when finishing second at Exeter when last seen, although the handicappers decision to raise him 1lb is perhaps a little harsh.
Tea Clipper had a peak rating of 147 over fences as recently as 2023 and it would be disappointing if he’s not capable of at least making the frame here.
On the other end of the scale, Dan Skelton’s Hoe Joly Smoke is thoroughly unexposed over fences and should have a secret or two from the handicapper. The son of Black Sam Bellamy finished second to Resplendent Glory when last seen and that was his first start over fences. Improvement could therefore be on the cards here and shouldn’t be far away if finding it.
SELECTION: TEA CLIPPER @ 8/1
NEXT BEST: HOE JOLY SMOKE @ 5/2
