Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Sandown) Betting Tips & Predictions – Saturday 8th December 2018

Won by the likes of Sprinter Sacre, Sire De Grugy, Master Minded and Un De Sceaux in recent years, the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown is always a race to savour. The 2018 edition looks to be no different, with one of the genuine superstars of the chasing game set to make his return to the track here. With a number of top-notch performers amongst the opposition though, can the current two mile chasing king prove his superiority once more?

A really high class field go to post once more for this excellent chase contest. In a race which has been won by a number of legends of the game already though, we will be siding with a horse rapidly attaining legendary status to come out on top.

Race Info

One mile and seven and a half furlongs is the trip for this Grade 1 contest offering £150,000 in total prize money, and set to be run on good to soft ground this year.

Recent Winners

With five wins in the past 10 years, and 10 in total, it is Paul Nicholls who has been the man to follow here amongst the training ranks.

A significant 33 of the 38 editions of this have been landed by a runner between six and nine years of age.

Analysis: Henderson Hero Too Hot To Handle

Most eyes will of course be on just the once horse here, as the latest Nicky Henderson trained superstar makes his return to the track. The question is, will Altior’s comeback be more Might Bite or Buveur D’Air. Connections and backers will be hoping it’s the latter.

Awesome Altior Just Too Good?

Unbeaten in his past fourteen races, including six Grade 1’s; seven pounds clear of the field on official ratings; and a perfect three from three at this track; can Altior be beaten here? In all honesty if he turns up anywhere near his best, the answer to that question is that no he probably can’t. Still only eight years old, father time shouldn’t be an issue for at least a couple of years yet and the most likely outcome of this is another Altior masterclass. There are still 13 fences to be jumped though, and as seen with Might Bite’s abject display at Haydock, these horses aren’t machines. Should the jolly misfire, there are any number of likely candidates ready and able to take advantage.

Royal Result For King?

Chief amongst those rivals for us is the Alan King trained, Sceau Royal. Going in the famous Simon Munir and Isaac Souede colours, this one arrives at the track unbeaten in his last four. A run which includes an 11-length demolition job in the Henry VIII Novice Chase over this course and distance at this meeting last year. Health issues forced him to miss the big spring festivals, but he didn’t seem to be showing any ill-effects when winning at Cheltenham on his recent return. To see off the old boy Simply Ned at Prestbury Park is one thing, to topple Altior is quite another. He nevertheless looks best of the rest.

Saint To Cause A Shock?

Harry Whittington’s Saint Calvados is seven from nine under rules, and as the only five year old in the field is the one we most likely haven’t seen the best of yet. Impressive from the front when scoring in good style at Naas last time out, the merit of that performance was tempered somewhat by the fall of big rival Footpad, but he can nevertheless have done no more than he did on the day.

Undoubtedly a horse on the up, he is still fully 17lbs inferior to the market leader on official ratings and would need a giant leap forward to threaten here, at least for win purposes. Beaten 53l in his only previous crack at a Group 1, he also needs to prove he is up to this grade.

Final Verdict: Altior to win

We are interested to see how Sceau Royal and Saint Calvados fare here when looking at the season ahead, whilst Willie Mullins’ runner Great Field would be an intriguing contender if making the trip over from Ireland. They are all up against it here though.

For us, Altior is simply the best horse currently in training under either code, and backing against him here is a bet on him either not being fit or suffering some kind of mishap. Henderson can be trusted to have him fit and ready, and he has never fallen, or looked like falling, in seventeen career starts. It’s the jolly for us here.