Betfair Tingle Creek Chase
Grade 3 Handicap, Sandown 15:00
£175,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
1m 7f 119y, Class 1  
Saturday 6th December 2025

The field is beginning to take shape, and the narrative has a familiar rhythm as form lines converge on the season’s first major two-mile clash.

L’Eau du Sud, fresh from his Shloer Chase success and carrying the colours partly owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, looks set to feature prominently in the market. Jonbon, too, takes his place among the headline names. The 2024 winner returns, though he arrives with a slight dent in the sheen after being turned over on his seasonal bow at Cheltenham’s November Meeting.

There was a moment in the straight when it seemed his proud graded record might slip, the Nicky Henderson-trained runner briefly appearing poised to finish outside the top three in a Grade 1 for the first time. As it transpired, fortune had a say. Had it not been for Matata almost unseating JJ Slevin, Nico de Boinville might well have been resigned to third behind the mare and the highly impressive L’Eau du Sud. Instead, Jonbon plugged on, though 15 lengths adrift of the grey Skelton-trained gelding at an SP of 5/6.

All of which sets the stage for Il Etait Temps to stride into the spotlight as the likely favourite. The Willie Mullins-trained chaser returns to Sandown with course-and-distance credentials already stamped, having landed the bet365 Celebration Chase in April, a performance in which he also had the measure of Jonbon by more than five lengths.

Evan Williams will be hoping for a clear round from Libberty Hunter, who has failed to complete in his last two races.

Alan King’s veteran Edwardstone, who was beaten a long way by L’Eau Du Sud in the Shloer, and Boothill complete the list.

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1)
£175,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 119y, Class 1
6 remaining entries
Going: Good

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 /2F4-P Boothill 10 11-10 Harry Fry
2 2354-4 Edwardstone 11 11-10 Alan King
3 1/11-1 Il Etait Temps 7 11-10 W P Mullins
4 1212-2 Jonbon 9 11-10 Nicky Henderson
5 1143-1 L'Eau du Sud 7 11-10 Dan Skelton
6 /12F-U Libberty Hunter 9 11-10 Evan Williams

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