The Tingle Creek Chase winners over the years have included some of the best 2m chasers in the world, in a race that is named after the horse that made Sandown Park his specialist track. See below some of the best Tingle Creek winners since 2000, plus all the winning horses over this period.
Tingle Creek Chase Winners: Many Two-Time Winners Of Sandown’s Big 2m Chase
The Sandown Park Tingle Creek Chase is named in honour is the US-bred chestnut steeplechaser that made the Esher track his own back in the 1970’s. You can find out more about the horse ‘Tingle Creek’ here.
Since then many 2m chasing greats have graced the Tingle Creek Chase hall-of-fame – including the popular grey Desert Orchid, who won the race in 1988.
While in more recent times the Sandown Park Grade One race has been farmed by trainer Paul Nicholls with twelve wins (and counting). These have included Gold Cup winner Kauto Star, Master Minded and Twist Magic, plus more recently Greaneteen. Nicholls also mopped up the Tingle Creek in back-to-back years from 2005 to 2010.
So as the race is coming around again (Sat 9th December 2023). You can relive some of the best Tingle Creek Chase winners here.
MOSCOW FLYER (2003 & 2004): Harrington-Trained Tingle Creek Winner in Back-to-Back Years
Jockey Barry Geraghty and Irish-based trainer Jessie Harrington mopped up two Tingle Creek Chases in 2003 and 2004 with Moscow Flyer. With the best UK horse racing betting sites making him the 6/4 favourite for the first of those wins.
Both Moscow Flyer’s Tingle Creek successes came in his advancing years too – aged 9 and 10.
While after these Sandown wins also landed the 2005 Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He was one of the best 2m chasers at this time, along with the likes of Well Chief and Azertyuiop – the horse he beat in his 2004 Tingle Creek win.
KAUTO STAR (2005 & 2006): Tingle Creek Winner in 2005 and 2006
Kauto Star is one of the all-time chasing greats and not only did he win two Cheltenham Gold Cups and five King George VI Chases, but he also had two Tingle Creek Chase successes to his name.
The first of these Sandown Park wins came in 2005, with former Grand National-winning jockey Mick Fitzgerald riding aged just five. Then, a year later, in 2006 Kauto Star (ridden by Ruby Walsh) defended his crown and later that season went into win his second Gold Cup.
These wins gave trainer Paul Nicholls his third and fourth Tingle Creek Chase wins. Having already won the race with Flagship Uberalles in 1999 and Cenkos in 2002.
TWIST MAGIC (2007 & 2009): Double Tingle Creek Winner For Paul Nicholls
Trainer Paul Nicholls didn’t waste any time adding to his growing Tingle Creek haul as Twist Magic followed on from Kauto Star to win the 2007 renewal.
This horse loved the Sandown track – winning there three times in total during his career. Plus, he also managed to wrestle back his crown in 2009 running after falling in the 2008 race.
Twist Magic was ridden by Sam Thomas for his first win (watch below) and Ruby Walsh in 2009.
MASTER MINDED (2008 & 2010): Two-Time Tingle Creek Winner
Owner Clive Smith, of Kauto Star fame, didn’t waste any time in finding a replacement 2m chaser as his Master Minded replicated his 5-time King George VI Chase winner by also taking two Tingle Creek Chases.
These wins came in 2008 and 2010, with jockeys Tony McCoy and Noel Fehily doing the steering. The 2010 running was also staged at Cheltenham, due to Sandown being called off that year.
After his 2008 Tingle Creek win (watch below) Master Minded also went onto add the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
SPRINTER SACRE (2012): The First Tingle Creek Chase Winner For Nicky Henderson
Surprisingly, top NH trainer Nicky Henderson hadn’t won the Tingle Creek Chase until his classy Sprinter Sacre put that right in 2012.
This talented 2m chaser dominated the 2012-2016 period and as well as his win in 2012 added two Champion Chases at Cheltenham (2013 & 2016). Not to mention the Arkle Novices’ Chase in 2012 and the 2016 Celebration Chase at Sandown. With the last-named race being his final outing.
Sprinter Sacre, who was ridden by Barry Geraghty for his Tingle Creek win, ended his career winning 18 of his 24 starts.
POLITOLOGUE (2017 & 2020): Popular Grey Wins Two Tingle Creek Chases Between 2017 and 2020
That man Paul Nicholls was at it again in 2017 and 2020 – this time with two wins with his grey 2m chaser Politologue. Jockeys Harry Cobden and Harry Skelton did the riding for those wins, which spanned over a four year period.
Politologue was owned by John Hales, who had gone close with Azertyuiop in the past. He’s another horse that also went onto win the Champion Chase at Cheltenham – winning that Festival race in 2020.
ALTIOR (2018): Former Arkle Winner Added The Tingle Creek in 2018
Altior probably would have won more Tingle Creek Chases had he not been injured a few times in his career. However, he still managed to win one and this came in 2018 with an easy 4-length win over Un De Sceaux.
He also added the Queen Mother Champion Chase that same season and came back to Sandown that year to win the 2019 Celebration Chase.
The Patricia Pugh-owned chaser ended his racing days at Sandown too, when runner-up in the 2021 Celebration Chase. He finished his career winning 21 of his total 26 starts.
Other Big Tingle Creek Winners From the Past
Prior to 2000, there were other big Tingle Creek Chase winners that have cemented their names on the Sandown roll of honour.
Desert Orchid’s win in 1988 was one of these, having taken the race as a 9 year-old, having been runner-up the season before (watch below).
Waterloo Boy (1991 & 1992) and Sound Man (1995 & 1996) were other double winners too.
While Flagship Uberalles is the only horse in the modern era to have won the Tingle Creek three times in-a-row (1999, 2000 & 2001). Remarkably these all came with different trainers (Paul Nicholls, Noel Chance & Philip Hobbs).
Past Tingle Creek Chase Winners Since 2000
- 2022 – EDWARDSTONE (5/1)
- 2021 – GREANETEEN (12/1)
- 2020 – POLITOLOGUE (11/8 fav)
- 2019 – DEFI DU SEUIL (2/1 fav)
- 2018 – ALTIOR (8/13 fav)
- 2017 – POLITOLOGUE (7/2)
- 2016 – UN DE SCEAUX (5/4 fav)
- 2015 – SIRE DE GRUGY (10/3)
- 2014 – DODGING BULLETS (9/1)
- 2013 – SIRE DE GRUGY (7/4 jfav)
- 2012 – SPRINTER SACRE (4/11 fav)
- 2011 – SIZING EUROPE (11/8 fav)
- 2010 – MASTER MINDED (10/11 fav)
- 2009 – TWIST MAGIC (9/4)
- 2008 – MASTER MINDED (4/7 fav)
- 2007 – TWIST MAGIC (5/1)
- 2006 – KAUTO STAR (4/9 fav)
- 2005 – KAUTO STAR (5/2 jfav)
- 2004 – MOSCOW FLYER (2/1
- 2003 – MOSCOW FLYER (6/4 fav)
- 2002 – CENKOS (6/1)
- 2001 – FLAGSHIP UBERALLES (7/2)
- 2000 – FLAGSHIP UBERALLES (100/30)
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