Tingle Creek 2012

[Sprinter]

Sprinter only beat Cue Card and Al Ferof and they are both useless right ?

[Old Vic]

Eight set to take on Sacre and Sanctuaire
Ten remain in Saturday's Tingle Creek at Sandown. They are Sprinter Sacre, Sanctuaire, Doeslessthanme, Escort'men, French Opera, Gracchus, Idarah, Kinkeel, Kumbeshwar and His Excellency

[mayo]

Hope weather will be Ok.

[Cooper]

A very sensible post I have seen elsewhere ...in response to the stuff sprinter posted above ....

Anyone who would think that Sanctuaire could serve it up to Sprinter Sacre would either be assuming one of two things in my eyes; either Sanctuaire has the potential to be one of the all time greats or that Sprinter Sacre is vastly overrated, both very wide of the mark in my opinion. The Nicholls horse looked top class reverting to fences as a novice last term any any other year would surely look the one to beat in this and possibly March, but with the company he happens to be keeping this certainly isn't any other year. There is of course the potential argument that Sprinter Sacre's breathing op will one day catch up with him, but having stormed through his novice season with such ease and class I can't picture it happening just yet.

[Sprinter]

Cooper I wasnt making a case for Sanctuaire just highlighting what some have been saying ....there is a core of people who didn't believe in Sprinter last year and are clutching at straws ...Let's hope they both get round.

[1833]

Nicholls loves to win this race

[Sprinter]

More non belief on olbg

This Saturday sees the return of "The Black Aeroplane" Sprinter Sacre in the showcase event on the card, The Tingle Creek over 2 miles.

I will be there with a group of pals to hopefully see Nicky Henderson's magnificent beast put in a vintage display.

But is he invincible?
Since the Tingle Creek was upgraded to Group 1 status, the previous year's Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham has been a decent guide with Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer,Master Minded and Sizing Europe all victorious.

Sadly the reigning champ Sizing Europe or the reigning Queen Mum champ Finian's Rainbow won't be running, but the Arkle is a decent guide to this too and the impressive winner of that, Sprinter Sacre is a hot, hot favourite to follow up here.

He looks to be unbeatable based on that festival romp and even more so when you look at what the vanquished Cue Card and Al Ferof have done this season by boosting the form with impressive victories themselves.

The novice chasers are a real star bunch and the second seasoner's are cleaning up all the big pots so can he realistically be opposed?

I'm not sure, because like Bob's Worth last weekend I want to believe he is the real deal, but there is hope if you want to take him on.

What of his main rival, Sanctuaire?
This one is a 6yo French bred, just like Sprinter Sacre, but is a different type of animal and I just have a feeling, he might just be a bit of value to lower the colours of Hendo's horse.

I'm always a seeker of value, but won't oppose an odds on shot just for the sake of it and there has to be evidence to suggest there could be a serious threat.

And There Is!
I was at Sandown on Bet365 day last season and I have not seen an easier winner in a very long time. Sanctuaire landed the Celebration Chase by making all and jumped superbly from the front on pretty desperate ground. it was called soft, but it was really a rotten day and conditions were awful by the time that race went off.
However he stopped the clock in 4.0.60 secs and he wasn't stopping at the end so could have been value for a bit more

The oppositon wasn't great but Somersby is no mug and was blown away and though he was carrying 4lb less than that rival it was still some performance.
Compare that time to last season's Tingle Creek where the top notch and more experienced Sizing Europe was timed at the finish line in 3.59.80 secs on ground described as good to soft, soft in places. Over the same course and distance you have to believe Sanctuaire put up a decent effort.
It is difficult to compare races in this way, but it is an indicator of ability when all adjustments are made and though Sanctuaire has to improve to win this, he's in the right hands to do just that


There is another tenuous link that made me sit up and have a second look and thats the relative beatings each horse has given Nicky Henderson's decent second string and good yardstick,French Opera.
Sanctuaire gave French Opera a near 23 length beating in that Celebration Chase off level weights and like I said earlier I thought he was value for much more

Compare that to Sprinter Sacre's 6 length beating of French Opera at Newbury receiving 5lb and there does seem a case in thinking Sanctuaire might just have a squeak.


Sprinter Sacre has obviously got tons more to come and it might be stretching it to think Sanctuaire might beat him, but those little nuggets do give me hope.

There is also the trainer's records and Paul Nicholls has farmed this race recently with seven winners in the last eleven years. He is obviously not running scared of the wonder horse and knows what is needed to land this.

It is a two-horse race and I fear the race will cut up so won't be looking for any each way pops, because there might only be seven runners come off time and that will be 1-2 only.

I want Sprinter Sacre to win, but he's never run around here either, so even though visually he is top, top class there is hope for his rival.

In a two-horse race the 5-2 with Ladbrokes does look appealing about Sanctuaire and you know he will blast off in front so hopefully can put the rest under a bit of pressure.

That doesn't mean he will win, but if Sprinter Sacre is not 100% fit it might just be the only time this season to take him on.

[Statto]

Mr Racecaller I believe

The Sportingbet Tingle Creek Chase takes place at Sandown this Saturday, 8th December. It’s a grade 1 chase run over 2 miles which has been won by some of the best chasers of the past decade including Master Minded, Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star & Sizing Europe. This year’s renewal see the return of the exciting Sprinter Sacre.

Below we take a look at the trends for the past 10 years:

Age (Win-Place-Runners)
5yo: 3-2-10
6yo: 1-3-8
7yo: 2-5-9
8yo: 1-0-16
9yo: 2-1-15
10yo: 1-1-9
11yo+: 0-0-3
Horses aged 5 to 7: 6-10-27
Horses aged 8+: 4-2-43
All 6 winners aged 5 to 7 were French bred.
The 3 winners aged 9+ were Irish bred.

Breeding
French bred: 7-7-28
Irish bred: 3-5-25
British bred: 0-0-10
German bred: 0-0-6
NZ Bred: 0-0-1
7 of 10 winners were French bred. Moscow Flyer and Sizing Europe were the two Irish bred winners in past 10 years, both had previously won the Champion Chase.

Recent/Past Form
10 of 10 winners finished in first 3 last time out
10 of 10 winners posted an RPR of 157+
8 of 10 winners had previously run that season (finishing in first 3 in all starts)
9 of 10 winners had won a chase by 16 lengths or more (exception had won a chase by 9L)
9 of 10 winners had previously won a Grade 1 chase (Kauto Star was the exception, he had not previously run in a Grade 1)
7 of 10 winners had run in at least 10 chases (all 3 exceptions trained by Nicholls and became multiple winners of the race)
5 of 10 winners had previously won at the track (3 having first run here)

Other Races
Game Spirit Chase winner (Sprinter Sacre): 211 (2-1-3)
Celebration Chase winner (Sanctuaire): 216414 (2-1-6)
Maghulls Novice Chase winner (Sprinter Sacre): 43212 (1-2-5)
Arkle winner (Sprinter Sacre): U2322 (0-3-5)
Wayward Lad Novices' Chase winner (Sprinter Sacre): 4 (0-0-1)
Burnt Oak & Special Cargo Challenge Cup winner (Sanctuaire): 53 (0-0-2)
5 of 10 winners ran in the previous year's race, finishing 4U11F
8 of 10 winners ran in Queen Mother Champion Chase, finishing 31UF1F41
3 of 3 Irish-trained winners ran in Punchestown Champion Chase, finishing U12
2 of 3 Irish-trained winners ran in Tied Cottage Chase, finishing 13
2 of 10 winners ran in the Melling Chase, finishing 12
2 of 10 winners ran in the Game Spirit, finishing 11
2 of 10 winners ran in the Haldon Gold Cup last time, finishing 23
2 of 10 winners ran in Celebration Chase, finishing 11

Trainers
Paul Nicholls (7-3-18) has won 6 of the last 7 runnings and but for Moscow Flyer & Sizing Europe, he would have trained the last 10 winners.
It seems as if it takes an exceptional chaser to beat the Nicholls team in this race. The only two non-Nicholls winners in the last 10 years have been Moscow Flyer and Sizing Europe, both were winners of the Arkle & Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Alan King (0-2-2) trained Voy Por Ustedes to finish runner-up twice.

Price
10 of 10 winners came from the first 3 in the betting
All 10 winners since 2002 went off 6/1 or shorter.
Favourites (6-3-11) have won 6 of last 10 runnings of this & show a level stakes profit of 1.55.

Summary:
Based on trends from the past 10 years you are looking for a horse:
French bred aged 5 to 7 or Irish bred aged 9 or 10
Finished in first 3 last time (posting RPR of 157+)
Ran in past 40 days
Won a grade 1 chase
Previously won a chase by 16 lengths or more
Finished in the first 4 in last year’s renewal
Finished in the first 4 in Queen Mother Champion Chase
First 3 in Haldon Gold Cup, Game Spirit and/or Melling Chase
From the first 3 in the betting (no bigger than 6/1)
Trained by Paul Nicholls or
Irish-trained that finished in first 3 in Tied Cottage & Punchestown Champion Chase

[Sefton]

Nicky Henderson believes that Sprinter Sacre will have no problems handling the prevailing soft ground at Sandown on Saturday for the Sportingbet Tingle Creek Chase.

Sprinter Sacre heads to the Esher track for the mouth-watering Grade 1 clash with Sanctuaire, who has not put a foot wrong since being sent over hurdles by champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Sprinter Sacre is largely unproven on soft ground, having raced on it only once when outclassing seven moderate rivals over hurdles in February last year.

“The soft ground will not be ideal but there are only three targets for him this season, the Sportingbet Tingle Creek Chase, the Victor Chandler at Ascot and the Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase so we have to take our chances,” Henderson said from his Seven Barrows base on Thursday.
He is a classy, easy moving horse which would suggest he would handle the soft ground.”

Barry Geraghty has been in rude form over the past two weeks and the Irishman’s success on Jezki at Fairhouse last week was his seventh in the past fortnight. He agreed that his mount would handle soft ground.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday’s race. You have to respect Sanctuaire after the performance he put up at Sandown Park in April and I think that he poses as Sprinter Sacre’s biggest test yet,” he said. “As for the soft ground, hopefully it won’t cause any problems, but it’s one of those things you don’t know until on the day. It’s going to be an interesting race.”

Sandown is bracing itself for rain on Thursday night and the going on the chase course is currently soft, good to soft in places.

Frost covers were employed on Wednesday on all racing lines in preparation for temperatures that plummeted to below freezing on Wednesday night.

“Taking all things into account and assuming the forecast is correct we are reasonably confident that we will be able to race on both days,” Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course, said. “Only if we get much more rain than is expected tonight or if Friday night turns much colder could we have any issues at all."

Nicholls also runs the Graham Wylie-owned Doeslessthanme, second to Wishfull Thinking at Cheltenham first time out this season.

Alan King saddles Kumbeshwar, who recovered from a shocking fall at Kempton to win next time out at Haydock, while David Pipe is represented by the four-year-old His Excellency.

The seven-runner field is completed by the Venetia Williams-trained Idarah and Tony Carroll's Kinkeel

[Hoof]

Tony McFadden Timeform Preview...

Timeform's Tony McFadden previews Saturday's clash between Sprinter Sacre and Sanctuaire in the Tingle Creek...

History has shown us that billing Grade 1 contests as a match, ignoring the other contestants, can often prove to be an embarrassing mistake. Racing's marketing men were left wiping egg from their faces with their Kauto Star and Denman scarves as Imperial Commander roared up the hill to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in 2010, and last year's Gold Cup, where the narrative leading up to the race focussed on the rivalry between Kauto Star and Long Run, was another case in point of the error of solely concentrating on two horses. However, that being said, it really is difficult to view this year's Tingle Creek as anything other than a match between Sprinter Sacre and Sanctuaire, two highly impressive novice chasers last year, who jumped with such speed and alacrity that it was scarcely believable that they were just starting their careers over the larger obstacles.

Sprinter Sacre, currently rated as Timeform's top-rated chaser in training, enjoyed a particularly fruitful novice campaign, the highlight being his victory in the prestigious Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, barely having to come off the bridle to dispatch Cue Card, a top-class performer in his own right. The enormous Timeform rating of 175 he achieved for that success was little surprise based on the impression he had created in his first three starts over fences, dismantling Champion Hurdle runner-up Peddlers Cross before stepping out of novice company to land the Game Spirit Chase on the bridle.

Having finished a highly encouraging third in the 2011 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, where he travelled for a long way like the best horse in the race, hopes were always high that the rangy Sprinter Sacre would be able to make up into a better chaser. Obviously, no-one could have anticipated just how big an impression he would make in his first season over fences, but the right signs were there. On the other hand, Sanctuaire's successful campaign was an entirely less predictable affair. Having burst onto the scene with a stylish victory in the Fred Winter Hurdle at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival, Sanctuaire had become a horse to be wary of, often ruining his chances at the start by essentially refusing to race. However, the switch to fences appeared to work the oracle as the reluctance which had characterised the latter stages of his hurdling career was replaced by a new found enthusiasm and appetite to race.

A winner of two fairly weak novice chases on his first two starts over fences, Sanctuaire was pitched in against good sorts such as Somersby and French Opera on his final start of the campaign in the Celebration Chase at Sandown. Whether or not he was given too much rope by his rivals is certainly a matter open for debate, but what is not in question is the sensational round of jumping put in by Paul Nicholls' gelding. Sent into an early lead, Sanctuaire opened up a decisive advantage down the back, attacking the fences with real gusto, standing well off and putting in some extremely bold and slick leaps. His rivals simply couldn't get close and he ran out a most impressive 17-length winner, underlining just how well he had taken to chasing.

The issue of tactics is certainly one worth addressing ahead of the Tingle Creek. Everyone is expecting Sanctuaire to blast off in the early stages and, while the element of surprise can be a potent weapon, it is hard to see how Ruby Walsh will be able to employ any tactic other than leading on his headstrong mount. Sanctuaire clearly possesses plenty of speed and his jumping is an asset around a course such as Sandown, but Sprinter Sacre is also a tremendous jumper with plenty of pace, arguably more so.

For all that Sanctuaire is a talented horse, is well suited to the course and will arrive at the peak of fitness, it is hard to imagine that he will be able to take Sprinter Sacre out of his comfort zone on Saturday. If anything, Sprinter Sacre, who can often pull for his head, would have benefitted from a stronger pace in his races last season.

Such was the impression that Sprinter Sacre created last term, it is difficult to envisage any horse being able to beat Nicky Henderson's superstar over two miles. He is one of the most exciting prospects to emerge for many a season and it could be that Saturday's race, against a good rival likely to set a fast pace, will allow him to post a truly exceptional rating. Having espoused the danger of billing any race as a match, I am fast convincing myself that Saturday's Tingle Creek, or any race Sprinter Sacre competes in this season, is essentially a one-horse race.

[Sprinter]

That's more like if Hoof ..good preview

[Cooper]

Forecast the way to go ?


O. HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER RTF% JOCKEY OR TS RPR
6 11111- Sprinter Sacre238 6 11-7 Nicky Henderson36 Barry Geraghty 169 172 183
5 55111- Sanctuaire224 6 11-7 Paul Nicholls70 R Walsh 166 157 175
1 2111-2 Doeslessthanme20 tb 8 11-7 Paul Nicholls70 Joe Tizzard 150 125 159
7 105415 His Excellency20 4 11-1 David Pipe53 Hadden Frost 147 121 154
2 013401 Idarah28 9 11-7 Venetia Williams57 Liam Treadwell 145 139 152
4 4F-2F1 Kumbeshwar15 b 5 11-7 Alan King48 Wayne Hutchinson 143 137 156
3 826-62 Kinkeel7 13 11-7 Tony Carroll Mattie Batchelor 69 63 83

[Sprinter]

Barry's Blog

UPERSTAR SPRINTER SET FOR NEXT STEP UP

Saturdays are always important but this one stands out because it is the next step up the ladder for SPRINTER SACRE (3.05).

Everyone knows just how highly he is regarded by anyone who has been lucky enough to have anything to do with him. He’s got star quality, the kind of horse that doesn’t come around very often.

He beat everything that was put in front of him last season and did it in some style and was rightly rated the best of the two-mile novices.

But what makes the Sportingbet Tingle Creek Chase such an intriguing contest is that he meets the other leading two-mile novice of last season - Sanctuaire.

Their paths never crossed so no one knows how good they are and there’s only 3lb between them on official ratings.

It goes without saying that I’m confident about Sprinter Sacre because he just does things with such ease and fluency.

He goes into this in very good form, having schooled and worked well so there are no negatives there - Nicky Henderson and the Seven Barrows team have him looking a picture of wellbeing.

But I have plenty of respect for Sanctuaire who is unbeaten over three over fences and has the advantage of winning the last two of them over Saturday’s course and distance.

When he won the last of them, the Celebration Chase, he produced a very good time and a flawless performance.

This will be the first time that Sprinter Sacre has encountered very soft ground but I would be more than hopeful that he has the class to keep his unbeaten record over fences.

Just sit back and enjoy two great young horses displaying their talen

[Sprinter]

How dare you Alex

Alex Hammond tips Sanctuaire to edge favourite Sprinter Sacre in Saturday's Tingle Creek at Sandown.

This weekend sees a host of duels and although far from being two-horse races, there are some fascinating match ups - none more so than in the Tingle Creek, which sees Arkle winner Sprinter Sacre take on Sanctuaire.

With just 3lbs between the pair on ratings I don't think the 4/9 favourite Sprinter Sacre is a shoe-in and there's no doubt this is likely to be the toughest test so far for the Nicky Henderson-trained horse.

2/1 second favourite Sanctuaire (trained by current champion Paul Nicholls) has in the past been called a few names and he went through a phase of looking reluctant over hurdles. However, he seems to have been reformed by a switch to fences and a change of tactics and he looked mighty impressive when winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown back in April. Like Sprinter Sacre, he is unbeaten over fences.

When I visited the Nicholls yard last month the vibes were positive about Sanctuaire and with very little between them on official ratings I'm going to take the favourite on

The ground could be testing and neither would appreciate a slog. Henderson withdrew his horse from his intended debut at Cheltenham's Open meeting due to the ground and it isn't ideal to start the season in the sort of ground they could encounter, but it's the same for everyone.

When I visited the Nicholls yard last month the vibes were positive about Sanctuaire and with very little between them on official ratings I'm going to take the favourite on. One thing is for sure, there is little in horse racing to match the thrill of top two-mile chasers in action and we should enjoy a great race.

[mayo]

AP

In the Tingle Creek Sprinter Sacre looks all class and, for me, he’s a better horse than Sanctuaire, although he is pretty smart too. Sprinter Sacre is potentially one of the best two-milers for a couple of years, probably since Master Minded was in his pomp. He’s already being called a superstar but, for me, he still has a bit to prove and I’ll watch the race with keen interest.