Tingle Creek Chase Guide

The 10-year-old has been a horse of a lifetime for his connections during his career being beaten just once over obstacles, landing a 19 race unbeaten run before that, that lasted from 2015 up until November 2019 where Cyrname got the better of him when he was stepped up in trip for the first time.

Henderson's stable star has seen off every horse possible in the two mile division winning at four consecutive Cheltenham festivals and overall having 10 Grade One wins to his name.

Having suffered a setback before the festival last term he was ruled out of the Champion Chase and having now put that behind him and undergone a racecourse gallop at Newbury he should be fit and ready for this event.

If anywhere near his best he will be tough to catch in this event which he won back in 2018, but their are question marks surrounding the superstar, now being a 10 year old.

It was thought that Politologue would never be able to get back to his best Grade One winning form last year having raced twice before the festival, finishing second of four on debut in the Shloer Chase and then fifth of eight in the Tingle Creek, where again he finished behind Defi Du Seuil.

His win in the Champion Chase saw him back to his best and although the big hitters like Altior and Chacun Pour Soi were pulled out of the event took the shine off the race, the grey was still the best horse on the day and will be looking to replicate that form at the weekend.

His handler Paul Nicholls believes he is in top form ahead of the event and having won this race back in 2017 he is hard to rule out getting his ideal conditions and being ridden by Harry Skelton, who triumphantly steered him to victory at the 2020 Cheltenham festival.

Nicholls' second chance in the Grade One is the very progressive Greaneteen who has been a model of consistency during his short career to date and could be the young pretender to beat in this event.

Having been a smart horse over hurdles, last term the gelding showed he was even better over fences when landing three of his five events and also finishing a good fourth in the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

He seems to be a much different horse this term, maturing massively during summer and now looks like a very smart chaser in the making.

He proved how much he has improved on his seasonal debut at Exeter when grinding out the Grade Two Haldon Gold Cup and he will be sure to improve for that blow out.

Rouge Vif looks to be a solid contender in the two mile chase division this season having made his seasonal debut at Cheltenham in October and bolted up off top weight in a decent handicap event.

Since then Whittington has been planning his next event, with soft conditions scuppering him going to the Grade Two Shloer Chase, he will now be stepping into Grade One company on Saturday.

This horse has shown how good he can be in the past, finishing third in the Arkle last season and if getting his desired good ground looks to be one to follow at a value price.

The Olly Murphy trained Brewin'upastorm has it all to prove in this black type event, having shaped like a superstar last season but not being able to produce the goods when it really mattered

He won both his events at Carlisle and Taunton very cosily last term and was eyed as the next potential Arkle winner off the back of those runs.

However, having ran well at the festival in 2019 in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle he did not do the same in the Grade One Arkle Challenge Trophy, jumping poorly and ultimately unseating his rider.

He made his seasonal return at Carlisle this term and again was way off the pace finishing last of six in a Listed Intermedite Chase and will need a career best off his past form to win this.

The final runner in the event is Castlegrace Paddy for trainer Pat Fahy and he represents the only Irish runner in the field at double figure odds.

He may be overpriced in the market and could spring a surprise if coming on for his seasonal debut which saw him land the Grade Two Fortria Chase at Navan.

He saw off the challenge from Cheltenham festival and Grade One winner A Plus Tard on his seasonal debut and that looks some decent form.

He ha struggled in Grade One events in the past, but if ready to go again should not be overlooked at a huge price.