Horse Talk with Simon Jackson:

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ALTIOR heads 14 entries for the £120,000 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday, December 5. 

Altior, a course and distance specialist at Sandown Park, has won all of his five starts over an extended one mile and seven furlongs at the Esher track.

A winner of 15 of his 16 chase starts, Altior won the 2018 renewal of the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase, coming home a comfortable four lengths clear of 2016 winner Un de Sceaux.

The 10-time Grade 1 winner was restricted to just two runs last season; finishing second to  Cyrname in a Grade 2 at Ascot 12 months ago and then winning at Grade 2 at Newbury in February.

Trainer Nicky Henderson said: “The Betfair Tingle Creek Chase is the plan with Altior. He will start at Sandown and then we will take it from there.

“The spark is there with Altior. If you had seen him school last week, you would not have seen anything like it. You would think what on earth are you doing going over two and a half miles as this is the fastest thing you will see.

“On good ground, he is terrifying to watch over fences. I think Altior’s gallop at Newbury was essentially a day out. It is not a race, a trial, it is just an away day to give them a little spark.

“It was exactly what he needed and I am delighted with where he is. It will just have lit the candle a little bit and you know they enjoy it.

“Altior is a very enthusiastic workhorse but it does him good to come away and it will just sharpen him up.”

The Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase, run in honour of 1970s Sandown Park legend Tingle Creek, has a glittering roll of honour. Winners include Desert Orchid, Viking Flagship, Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star, Master Minded, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase entries: 
Altior, Greaneteen, Politologue, Rouge Vif, Defi Du Seuil, Duc Des Genievres, Magic Saint, Waiting Patiently, Fox Norton, Brewinupastorm, Castlegrace Paddy, Simply The Betts, First Flow, Esprit Du Large

Horse Talk with Simon Jackson. Showcasing horse racing in London and the south east.