Tingle Creek Chase Preview

The Tingle Creek Chase takes place on Saturday at Sandown, the first big Grade 1 over two miles for chasers this season. Returning is Altior, a horse who has dominated this division for most of his career, but he does have to come here on the back of a strange campaign last season.

He didn’t make any of the big targets last year, was beaten when trying further in distance and won a small chase on his only other start. There is no doubt he is a talented horse, but when you look at what he has done over the past 12 months, he offers no value at all, and is already odds on with all firms.

Politologue took the Champion Chase last year in Altior’s absence, a race that cut up badly and in all honesty, didn’t take too much winning. If he wins this it would be a disappointment as it would show that Altior wasn’t at his best, and also the two young up and coming horses hadn’t shown their capabilities.

It is one of those two up and coming youngsters that catches the eye, and at a very nice price, Rouge Vif is taken to win the Tingle Creek on Saturday.

He came back with a devastating handicap win at Cheltenham in October, showing that he is certainly not a handicapper and his future belongs in graded company. Go back to last season and he won a Grade Two while finishing third in the Arkle, so the form is certainly there.

If Altior returns to his best, he should be beating Rouge Vif, but at the prices and with a couple of question marks over Altior, he is certainly worth taking on with Rouge Vif.

The Paul Nicholls trained Greaneteen is the final horse to mention, but the way he scraped over the line at Exeter last time out was not good enough to win this and you are taking a punt on him taking a huge leap forward.

Altior is the best in the race, but if he’s not quite right he is certainly vulnerable. Let’s go with Rouge Vif to be in line to take advantage of any flaws on Saturday.

Best of the Rest at Sandown

Two other runners stick out at Sandown, starting with Cloudy Glen in the London National. The Venetia Williams trained runner won the Southern National at Fontwell with ease last time out and although he’s received a hike in the weights, this kind of stamina test looks right up his street and he can improve again to take this.

Rounding off the picks, Allmankind is going chasing early in his career at just four but he made a huge impression at Warwick on debut and is worth following in better company here. He’s got a serious engine and jumped brilliantly on debut, he can take the Henry VIII Novice Chase on the card.

Sandown Best Bets

1:50pm – Allmankind – 5/2 with bet365
2:25pm – Rouge Vif – 8/1 with Betfair
3:00pm – Cloudy Glen – 15/8 with Betfred