ITV Racing Tips from Sandown & Aintree - Tingle Creek 2020

The jumps season is in full flow now, with top-class racing every weekend over the obstacles.

This week serves up two terrific cards from Sandown and Aintree, with a number of Graded contests on offer.

The highlight is the Grade 1 Tingle Creek, with another top-level contest on the same card in the form of the Henry VIII Novices' Chase.

Allmankind looks to add his first Grade 1 over fences after a sparkling performance on debut.

The Grand National fences are in action for the first time this season at Aintree too, with the Becher Chase and Grand Sefton handicaps looking fiercely competitive, in addition to the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase, which sees the returns of Native River and Santini.

Matchday FM Racing regulars Harry Reynolds and Ben Wignall have previewed the eight-race card live on ITV Racing, with four from Sandown and Aintree respectively, to see if they can find some winners.

Sandown

13.50 - Planteur At Chapel Stud Henry VIII Novices' Chase (Grade 1)

Harry Reynolds – You will be hard pushed to see many better novice chasing debuts than ALLMANKIND produced at Warwick last time out. He winged every fence in his typically dominant front-running style, and the horse in second that day won at Newbury last weekend to boost the form, and he should be tough to pass. Hitman won by 30 lengths on his first start over fences but it was a messy race, and Eldorado Allen benefited from Gumball falling when he looked booked for second at Cheltenham.

Ben Wignall – Paul Nicholls has a great record in this race and is represented by Tamaroc Du Mathan and 30-length Ffos Las winner Hitman, although that race was ruined by two fallers. It’s hard not to be excited by ALLMANKIND though, who disappointed on his last hurdles start at Cheltenham and was quickly switched to the big obstacles two weeks later. His Warwick win remains to be one of the most impressive jumping performances of the season so far and he can take a massive step forward for his Arkle chances here.

14.25 - Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1)

HR – Put simply, ALTIOR is by far and away the best of these and should win very easily. He’s been off the track for a long time, but he is still unbeaten over two miles and there is no reason to believe his ability is waning with age. Politologue has seen Altior’s backside more than enough times to discount him, and the Champion Chase he won in March was possibly the worst renewal of the race in its history. Greaneteen has no chance at the weights, and Rough Vif has plenty to do to get up to Altior’s level. I would be astounded if Altior didn’t win.

BW – This year’s Tingle Creek sees the return of the mighty ALTIOR, and despite being a 10-year-old now, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t steamroll the opposition here. Politologue is a hardy horse who finished close to Nicky Henderson’s machine at Cheltenham in 2019 and will be looking to pounce if Altior does fail to fire, whilst Greaneteen would have to take an almighty step forward if he were to win this, as would Rouge Vif.

15.00 - Betfair Exchange Back And Lay London National Handicap Chase

HR – Cloudy Glen is a worthy favourite following a demolition job on heavy ground at Fontwell last time out, but he’s now on a career-high mark and has been inconsistent in the past, so is worth taking on. CLASSIC BEN has won at Sandown on soft going in the past, and made a decent enough reappearance when second at Exeter carrying top weight a month ago, and in receipt of 15 pounds from the favourite he’s worth a punt.

BW – I’m a sucker for a Trevor Hemmings horse, but Cloudy Glen has gone up 11 pounds for winning the Southern National and I may have to oppose him here. Only one other horse makes appeal and that is CLASSIC BEN, who has won at Sandown before and came a good second on his seasonal debut at Exeter last time out.

15.35 - Betfair Exchange December Handicap Hurdle (Listed Race)

HR – MISTER COFFEY was well-touted for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last season before being humbled at odds of 1/3 at Huntingdon. He wasn’t seen again until bolting up on seasonal reappearance, and it’s fair to say his ceiling is a lot higher than a rating of 138. He also gets some weight from Solo, who was favourite for the Triumph Hurdle after winning the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton, but the form of that race is very windy, and he’s probably not as good as many thought he was.

BW – Solo has to carry top weight for this and he didn’t really impress in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last time out. At a bigger price, ROSIE AND MILLIE was second last time at Ascot to the handicap good thing that was Buzz, and runs off the same mark here.

Aintree

13.30 - William Hill Becher Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

HR – Ramses De Teillee is as game as they come and has a big chance here, with trainer David Pipe in red-hot form. He looks an each-way certainty, but I’ll go for LE BREUIL, who is seven pounds lower than when he was a creditable seventh in this last year. He won the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in 2019 on soft ground, so trip and going are no concerns, and he’s a decent price.

Le Breuil (right) saw off Discorama in a thrilling battle at the Cheltenham Festival last year.

BW –Walk In The Mill has won this two years in a row and got a run under his belt at Ascot two weeks ago so will be ready for this. He’s up in the weights since his last win though and I’ll be siding with the 2019 winner of the Cheltenham Festival four-miler in LE BREUIL. Ben Pauling’s charge wasn’t that far behind the winner at Kelso last time out and we already know he stays beyond this trip.

14.05 - williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle (Listed Race)

HR – I’ve tried to find an alternative to MEGAN in this, but the other fillies all have concerns. Scholastic is by Zoffany who hated soft ground, and Hiconic has never encountered worse than good-to-soft conditions. Trainer Alan King won this last year with Midnights’ Gift, but his hope this year is Her Indoors and she’s never jumped a hurdle in public. That leaves it to Megan, who won by over nine lengths on hurdling debut on soft going last month, and she can confirm her potential here.

BW – Stuart Edmunds’ Megan ran to a decent standard on the flat in Germany and was a clear-cut winner on hurdles debut at Leicester. SCHOLASTIC comes over for Joseph O’Brien having had an autumn campaign, and was behind Cheveley Park purchase Quilixios at Punchestown previously. He definitely has the ability to go one better here.

14.40 - William Hill Many Clouds Chase (Grade 2)

HR – This is one of the races of the season so far – former Gold Cup winner NATIVE RIVER, taking on Gold Cup second Santini and former Ryanair Chase winner Frodon. The latter is the only one with a run this season, and he annihilated a competitive field at Cheltenham off a mark of 164. But he’s not an out-and-out stayer, and would arguably prefer dryer conditions. Santini looked very poor on his reappearance at Sandown in a Listed race last season so will probably need a run, and this won’t test his stamina enough. Native River, on the other hand, won this race 12 months ago and is unbeaten in two starts on the Mildmay. The Gold Cup would’ve looked completely different in March had he been in there, and I think he’s still got the ability to mix it with the very best in the game.

Native River won both of his two starts last season, including this race.

BW – This looks like a three-horse race with Keeper Hill and Lake View Lad not really having much of a chance. Frodon is a top-class horse these days and landed a Cheltenham handicap in October off a mammoth weight. He comes up against two horses making their seasonal debuts in Native River and SANTINI. The former may go to the Grand National this year and won this at a canter last year, whilst the latter made hard work of his reappearance at Sandown last November. You’d just have to trust that he is ready for this test as he tries to go one better in the Gold Cup in 2021.

15.15 - William Hill Grand Sefton Handicap Chase

HR – It would be some story if MIGHT BITE followed his old rival Native River into the winner’s enclosure. This horse has clearly had a lot of issues since being out-fought in the Gold Cup in 2018, but his effort on reappearance was very respectable and he travelled like the fire was still in his belly. He’s now rated 150, a full 22 pounds below his career-high mark, and with the drop in trip also suiting Nicky Henderson’s charge he’s certainly got strong each-way claims.

BW – This looks an ultra-competitive renewal of the Grand Sefton and it may prove too short for Lord Du Mesnil, who was second in the National Hunt Challenge Cup at Cheltenham over a mile further. SAMETEGAL though has finished third in two competitive veterans handicaps this season, including one at Aintree, and he may relish a few less furlongs to travel under Bryony Frost.

Selections

Harry Reynolds

Sandown

13.50 Allmankind 2/1

14.25 Altior 5/6

15.00 Classic Ben 7/2

15.35 Mister Coffey 15/8

Aintree

13.30 Le Breuil 9/2

14.05 Megan 6/4

14.40 Native River 9/4

15.15 Might Bite 16/1

Ben Wignall

Sandown

13.50 Allmankind 2/1

14.25 Altior 5/6

15.00 Classic Ben 7/2

15.35 Rosie And Millie 9/1

Aintree

13.30 Le Breuil 9/2

14.05 Scholastic 5/1

14.40 Santini 11/8

15.15 Sametegal 10/1