Sandown Park is the stage for some superb National Hunt racing across Friday and Saturday as the Esher venue hosts their Tingle Creek Christmas Festival.
The Grade 1 feature race on Saturday has attracted a heavyweight trio in Jonbon, L’eau Du Sud and Il Etait Temps, while promising novice Lulamba is the star attraction in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase on the undercard.
There’s also quality action from Sandown on Friday and we’ve picked a trio of horses that can sparkle on each day of the Tingle Creek Christmas Festival.
Friday
1.45 Sandown – Winter Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2, 2m4f)
The Blue Room is a worthy adversary for NO DRAMA THIS END, but the Paul Nicholls inmate earned rave reviews for his hurdles debut success at Cheltenham three weeks ago and, even allowing for a 5lb penalty, he could simply have too many guns here under Harry Cobden, with the Grade 1 Challow at Newbury an intended Christmas target.
Selection: No Drama This End @ SP
2.20 Sandown – Esher Novices’ Chase (Grade 2, 3m)
Four runners and all with valid claims. Doyen Quest was 10 lengths too strong for Quebecois when they clashed at Exeter early last month. Dan and Harry Skelton will anticipate a similar outcome, but the runner-up should strip fitter and get much closer.
They are both overlooked in favour of LAURENS BAY for the Jamie Snowden team. He created a pleasing impression on his chasing debut success at Uttoxeter and merits this rise in class.
Selection: Laurens Bay @ SP
2.55 Sandown – Handicap Chase (3m)
Dan Skelton made reference to the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for HIDDEN HISTORY after the stable debutant made a winning start over fences at Aintree (3m1f, good to soft) four weeks ago.
He needed every yard of the trip to master Theatre Man and so, with an eye on stamina, it’s no shock Skelton is coming here next. A 2lb rise looks lenient for one that should progress over fences and he jumped very well on Merseyside.
Selection: Hidden History @ SP
Saturday
1.50 Sandown – Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 1m7½f)
LULAMBA did everything asked of him on his chasing introduction at Exeter in November and looks every bit as exciting as most people hoped he would in this new discipline.
The Seven Barrows-based four-year-old gets 6lb for these three older rivals and he might not need it.
Selection: Lulamba @ 8/11
3.00 Sandown – Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1, 1m7½)
Jonbon’s record around Sandown is sublime (111112), but he had no answer to Il Etait Temps in the Celebration Chase here at the back end of last season.
The Irish raider is much-respected but L’EAU DU SUD could land an early strike in the trainers’ championship for Dan Skelton over Willie Mullins.
He dismissed Jonbon in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham with some disdain and could be a coming force in this division.
Selection: L’eau Du Sud @ 5/2
3.35 Sandown – London National Handicap Chase (3m4½f)
O’Connell was a course winner over 3m in the spring and should build on last month’s Carlisle third over 3m2f on his comeback run, but ASK BREWSTER is three years his junior and comes here on a roll for Evan Williams.
He signed off last season with wins at Chepstow and Cheltenham – the latter over this trip – and had no problems obliging at the Monmouthshire layout on his comeback in October.
He’s 8lb higher here, but relishes the trip and the prospect of ‘good’ being in the going description is significant.
Selection: Ask Brewster @ 3/1
