It made me Tingle

It made me Tingle

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Tingle Creek Trophy Chase of 2004. It was well founded.

The favourite, Azertyioup, had won the Queen Mother Champion Chase and, on his seasonal reappearance, had given weight to all his rivals when winning the Haldon Gold Cup by five lengths.

Well Chief had won the Arkle at Cheltenham and the Maghull at Aintree and was a seriously talented young chaser. And then there was the previous year’s Tingle Creek winner.

Moscow Flyer had beaten Azertyioup in the 2003 renewal but had fallen in the Queen Mother allowing that rival to have a clear run to victory. He had won the Melling Chase at Liverpool in good style afterwards.

Too strong

The race at Sandown lived up to its billing with the three principals in close formation over the last two fences.

Moscow Flyer was just too strong at the end and Barry Geraghty’s celebration as the pair crossed the line was a bit of an up yours to Moscow Flyer’s detractors, who thought he was a spent force. But it is easily in the top five of my favourite jump races.

This years renewal has the potential to live long in the memory. The field contains the winners of seventeen Grade One chases.

Admittedly ten of those wins belong to Un De Sceaux. He won the Tingle Creek three years ago and is officially the highest rated runner in the race. But he is rising twelve and this is his seasonal debut.

Having said that he has form figures of 112 on reappearance the last three seasons. The second place was here last year behind Altior.

Ornua is a massive price considering he won a Grade One at Aintree. But the form of that race has not really worked out. And he has been beaten in his last two runs.

Waiting Patiently is another who, on the face of it, looks overpriced. But his best form is over further. He could be staying on at the end though.

Dolos was getting weight from Janika when beaten in the Haldon last time out. Janika is a horse on the up but needs to improve again.

Surprised

Sceau Royal kept bumping into Altior last season so was always going to struggle to win races. I would still be surprised if he managed to win this though.

Politologue won this race two years ago but it wasn’t a vintage year. He is a horse I have always liked and he is a solid marker.

He was giving three pounds to DEFI DU SEUIL when second in the Shloer Chase last month but I think the winner will come on again. His novice form includes defeats of Lostintranslation and Topofthegame.

All over further than the Tingle Creek trip but that stamina could be decisive up the straight. And he is on my Ten to Follow list so I need to stay loyal.

The first weekend of that competition didn’t go very well for me.

Reserve Tank was beaten into second place while Samcro fell at the second last in his race. But it has to be said Fakir D’oudairies was motoring at the time.

And to top it all Saldier has picked up an injury and will be out for at least a few weeks. Arrrgghhhh!

And Envoi Allen, the second to last horse I took off of my list, made it six out of six under rules. For information purposes Kemboy was the last to be deleted due to his ownership problems.

Watch him hose up in the Savills Chase over Christmas. Ho Hum.