Horse Talk with Simon Jackson:   

Top horse racing tips and the latest news.  

GREANETEEN bids to continue his superb record at Sandown Park when contesting the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at on Saturday.

The eight-year-old targets back-to-back wins in the Tingle Creek after an emphatic victory last year.

The five and a half-length victory continued his superb record at Sandown and he has now won three times in four runs over the extended one mile and seven furlongs distance of the Tingle Creek.

These victories have all come at the highest level and include landing the bet365 Celebration Chase in 2021 and 2022. Paul Nicholls’ charge was also second in the 2020 Tingle Creek Chase won by stablemate Politologue and showed his wellbeing for Saturday’s race by winning a Grade 2 Chase at Exeter on his comeback last month.

Speaking after the Exeter win, Nicholls said: “I’m half not surprised by the way he’s been going. If you look at my quotes in the Racing Post you’ll see I said Greaneteen has been working better than ever and was stronger than ever. We were very happy and felt he was really fit. 

“We were going to have him ready and he was. That’s a seriously good performance. He’s never really had the credit he deserves; he’ll go straight to the Tingle Creek now then we might go Champion Chase. He was only beaten two lengths in it two years ago and he’s twice the horse now.” 

The Tingle Creek has attracted a boutique field of six runners. The betting is headed by Shishkin who beat Greaneteen at Kempton last December; but has not raced since pulled up when hot favourite for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase in March.

Betfair Spokesman, Barry Orr, said today: ‘’It really has been a roller-coaster market with the uncertainty surrounding the participation of Shishkin and Edwardstone. Greaneteen, who’s now 9/4, traded at a shade of odds-on during the week, but has now been usurped at the head of the market by Shishkin, who’s clear favourite at evens’’.

“It’s fantastic that all the market principles have stood their ground and what a treat horse racing fans are in for’’

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase odds (Betfair): Evens Shishkin , 9/4 Greaneteen, 5/1 Edwardstone, 8/1 Gentleman De Mee, 33/1 Funambule Sivola, 100/1 Dunvegan

Read ‘Horse Talk with Simon Jackson’ for top horse racing tips and the latest news.