Sandown Saturday

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1)

THE Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday saw Jonbon (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville) sent off a hot favourite at 8/13 and, while he gave backers a minor scare when taking off a bit too far from the first ditch (a fence which it has become tradition for Seven Barrows chasers to misjudge), there were no other dramas as he cruised to a facile success.

The multiple Grade 1-winner tracked Quilixios (Henry de Bromhead/Jonathan Burke) until jumping to the front soon after halfway and, although allowing Quilixios to dispute the lead again around the home turn, he was always in hand for de Boinville and won ears pricked and unchallenged by eight lengths from that rival, with JPR One (Joe Tizzard/Brendan Powell) best of the others, a further two and a quarter-lengths in arrears.

Master Chewy fell at the sixth fence and Edwardstone was still waited with, when taking a heavy tumble at the last of the Railway fences, but both horses returned unscathed, while Jonbon was able to bask in the adulation of the Esher crowd.

Henderson reported that the winner had sustained a small nick during the race, which he hoped was superficial, but was otherwise quite bombastic in his response to this win, saying: “He was up for a battle today; he wanted to battle earlier than even Nico wanted him to. He’s just a real terrier, but he’s a very classy terrier. He loves a scrap and wanted to go faster the whole way.

“Surely we go the Clarence House next and then hopefully we’ll get into a fight with whoever they send over from Ireland at Cheltenham.

“He’s been at the top of his game apart from the Clarence House last year, which was unfortunate, otherwise he’d be one more ahead of the game.”

Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

L’EAU du Sud (Dan/Harry Skelton) has made an excellent transition to fences this term and made it three from three over the larger obstacles, when landing the Grade 1 Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Sent off at 10/11 on the back of an impressive win in the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham, he was less impressive here, although tacky ground and a gusting wind made for difficult conditions for novices, and L’Eau du Sud learned to win ugly after a couple of near flawless displays.

Gordon Elliott sent both Down Memory Lane and Touch Me Not over, so even with the withdrawal of Elite Hurdle winner Rubaud, the race had plenty of quality on paper.

Unfortunately, Down Memory Lane (Mark Walsh) never really travelled after jumping awkwardly at the first fence, while Touch Me Not (Jordan Gainford), having made the running, made an appalling error at the sixth fence, which he did well to survive.

Recovered

The latter recovered well enough to continue in front until passed by the winner between the last two fences, from which point he could offer only token resistance.

L’Eau du Sud didn’t jump either of the last two fences fluently, but was clearly in the ascendancy at that stage and stayed on up the hill to record a three and three-quarter length victory over Touch Me Not, with Down Memory Lane beaten eight lengths in total in third of the four starters.

“The ground was hard work,” Harry Skelton told the ITV Racing audience. “He bunny hopped the last, but he’s a tough horse and has won ugly when he needed to.

“He’ll have a little break now and will probably have one run before the Arkle. He’s a fit horse, you’ve got to run them when they are fit and well and that is what Dan does, you take your chances, but he’s shown today, ground doesn’t really matter.”

Huntingdon Sunday

CONDITIONS at Huntingdon on Sunday could be best described as ‘filthy’, but the wind and rain were not the slightest bother for Djelo (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch), as he won the Peterborough Chase Grade 2 feature with any amount in hand.

The winning margin over Protektorat (Dan/Harry Skelton) was six lengths at the line, but it’s no exaggeration to say that it could have been 36 had Deutsch wished, with the jockey able to look around for non-existent dangers before even turning into the home straight. The 2/1 second favourite was always travelling powerfully and jumping with economy, as Nickle Back took the field along and, when that rival weakened from the third-last fence, Djelo was in total control.

Travelling much better than Ginny’s Destiny and Protektorat into the straight, Djelo was able to toy with those classy rivals and, having jumped the last 10 lengths to the good, he was heavily eased to win with plenty to spare.

Intelligent horse

Williams said: “Irrespective of their history, and what they had done, it was his day today. He is so clever at the obstacles, whether he is long, short or tight, he is just so quick as he is an intelligent horse.

“I’m so thrilled for Pete Davies, his owner, for Charlie, who has ridden him beautifully and Cara, who rides him all the time. It was a wonderful performance.

“He was third at the Cheltenham Festival and he won three races last season, but he has been progressive ever since his attention has turned to fences, so let’s hope that is continuing. This weather has changed the ground for him and that has helped him as well.

“I’d like to think we have two great flagbearers in the three-mile division in L’Homme Presse and Royale Pagaille and it is great that this horse is stepping up to somewhere near that level now. I’m not going to talk about future races at this point, as we want to celebrate today.”

Around the tracks round-up

IT was a good weekend for owner Garry Wilson, who tasted success in listed contests at both Sandown and Huntingdon. Honky Tonk Highway took the Claremont Novices’ Hurdle at the former track, while Supreme Malinas landed the Henrietta Knight Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race at Huntingdon on Sunday, with Dan Skelton giving the leg up to brother Harry on both winners.

There was also listed action on the flat at Kempton on Wednesday evening, with Jane Chapple-Hyam saddling Champagne Prince (William Buick) to take the Wild Flower Stakes from Eydon and set himself up for a possible Winter Derby bid.

The Skeltons have a good band of mares and Thursday’s listed mares’ chase at Warwick was dominated by Cherie d’Am, with the favourite Youwearitwell back in third. The winner finished third in a Grade 1 at Aintree to Dancing City last season.