The Tingle Creek Chase is one of the big horse racing highlights at Sandown Park racecourse each season. But just who was Tingle Creek – the horse named after the big Grade One contest? We delve back into the racing history books to find out more about the horse his jockey and just how many races he won.
Who Was Tingle Creek – The Horse?
The horse Tingle Creek was an American-bred chaser that raced in the 1970’s. He was famed for his good looks being a chestnut horse with a striking white blaze down the middle of his face and nose. While he also became known for running with distinctive leg bandages.
Tingle Creek specialised running over fences at a trip of two miles and racked up an incredible 31 wins from his 80 career starts.
Of those runs, he raced 52 times in the UK – winning 23 times – and was famous for his front-running style. He was also often lumbered with a big weight, while he will also be remembered for never falling during his career. Which is no mean feat considering he raced 80 times.
The Sandown Park track became won of Tingle Creek’s specialist tracks and broke the course record many times at the Esher venue.
In contrast, Cheltenham was a course the horse didn’t get on with – many saying the reason being because it is a left-handed track.
Who Rode Tingle Creek?
Top jumps jockey at the time, Steve Smith Eccles, who also won the Champion Hurdle three times on the Nicky Henderson-trained See You Then, rode Tingle Creek in most of his races in the UK.
Smith Eccles went on record as saying he was the most exciting jumper he rode – saying “he was flat out from start to finish and he would just eat fences.”
Tingle Creek’s Pedigree
He was a son of Goose Creek – hence one part of his name. His father ran on the flat as more of a sprinter to a miler, which explains where Tingle Creek got his ability to run flat out from the front.
Having started racing in the US, Tingle Creek moved to England in the 1970’s and after building up a love for Sandown Park, the track named a race in his honour in 1979.
It was the same race the horse had won at the track in 1973, when carrying a monster 12st 5lbs.
The horse dies aged 30 in 1996.
WATCH: Tingle Creek’s Three Wins At Sandown Park
When Is The 2023 Tingle Creek Sandown Chase?
📅Date: Saturday 9th December 2023
🕙Time: 3:00pm
🏇Racecourse: Sandown (1m 7 1/2f)
💰 Winner: £99,663
📺 TV: ITV4 / Racing TV
Best Recent Tingle Creek Winners
In recent times the Sandown Park 2m chase has thrown up many top winners.
These include former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star, who won the race twice in 2005 and 2006, and was owned by Clive Smith.
Smith was also responsible for the 2008 and 2010 winner Master Minded, while the classy Sprinter Sacre in 2012 provided trainer Nicky Henderson with his first Tingle Creek winner. He went onto add the 2013 Queen Mother Champion Chase to his CV later that season.
See the best Tingle Creek Chase winners since 2000 here.
Paul Nicholls Is The Most Successful Trainer
The most successful trainer in Tingle Creek history is Paul Nicholls. The Ditcheat handler has won the Tingle Creek twelve times (and counting), with his first coming in 1999 with Flagship Uberalles, who later went onto win two more, but for different yards (Noel Chance and Philip Hobbs).
Paul Nicholls’ most recent winner in the Sandown race was Greaneteen in 2021.
- Greaneteen (2021)
- Politologue (2017, 2020)
- Dodging Bullets (2014)
- Master Minded (2008, 2010)
- Twist Magic (2007, 2009)
- Kauto Star (2005, 2006)
- Cenkos (2002)
- Flagship Uberalles (1999)
Sandown Race Often A Good Guide To The Queen Mother Champion Chase
The Tingle Creek is also seen as a good stepping stone race towards the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
In recent years, the likes of Altior, Dodging Bullets, Sire Du Grugy, Sprinter Sacre, Master Minded and Moscow Flyer are all horses that have won both the Tingle Creek and the Champion Chase that same season.
Who Won Last Year’s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park?
The Alan King-trained Edwardstone won the 2022 Tingle Creek Chase – beating the 2021 winner Greaneteen by 9 lengths (watch below).
That day the best UK horse racing betting sites sent him off at 5/1, with the favourite Shishkin back in third.
Past 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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