Temps team savouring Tingle Creek test

Il Etait Temps will try to stake his claim to the two-mile chasing crown when he lines up for Willie Mullins in Saturday’s Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.

It was when emphatically downing Jonbon in the Celebration Chase on the final day of the season that this Grade One showpiece came on the radar for the Closutton team and after breezing to victory in the Clonmel Oil Chase on his early-season reappearance, now heads to Esher in search of a sixth top-level prize.

“There’s massive excitement and he’s been a great servant who owes us nothing, so we’re very much looking forward to the race on Saturday,” said Ross Doyle, racing manager for owners Hollywood Racing & Barnane Stud.

“He was breathtaking at Sandown at the end of last season and Willie was very keen to get him a run at Clonmel as a prep run for the Tingle Creek. We were obviously very happy with that and it’s all systems go now for the Tingle Creek.

“All the owners are excited and the majority will be there so it will be a big day for everybody.

“He has to prove himself again this season and there will be opportunities like Saturday there for him. If he can stay in one piece and we get a bit of luck, then hopefully we will be at the top table for the rest of the season.”

L’Eau Du Sud is another to claim the scalp of Jonbon recently having handed Nicky Henderson’s stalwart of the two-mile scene a 15-length beating in Cheltenham’s Shloer Chase.

Trainer Dan Skelton can do little wrong at present and he sees “no negatives” ahead of returning to the course and distance that saw him strike Grade One gold as a novice chaser.

“I’m really happy with him, we’ve got no negatives,” said Skelton.

“We’re taking on Jonbon with a run under his belt and that will obviously be harder and Willie is sending over Il Etait Temps, so it’s going to be very hard because he looks bombproof.

“They can ride him how they want, he’s versatile, he’s going to be a very hard horse to beat. He’s a worthy favourite but we aren’t backing out.

“I noticed no change in ours over the summer, he just looked a bit better! I don’t know why but there’s no change in him physically. They are allowed to improve, some go the other way so it’s nice when they improve.

“It can be difficult for those second-season chasers as you either take the leap like we’re doing or you go in a handicap when they are too high, so it can be a case of the awkward second album.

“For every one we have that can go up, I’m sure we’ll have five that go the other way.”

Henderson has reached for cheekpieces as Jonbon attempts to regain the winning thread in a race he has won handsomely the last two seasons.

“Nicky is very happy with him, he’s been in good form since the run at Cheltenham and is hoping he’ll come on a bit, so we’re looking forward to getting him out again,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“We’ve put cheekpieces on him and the lads are hoping it might sharpen him up a little bit over the trip.

“Hopefully we don’t get too much more rain and he has a bit of work to do against both Il Etait Temps and L’Eau Du Sud who will be tough customers to beat, but he never runs a bad race and he will give a good account of himself once again.”

The five-strong line-up is completed by Evan Williams’ Libberty Hunter and Harry Fry’s Boothill.