Tataniano can enhance Paul Nicholls’ record in the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday
This season’s renewal of the sportingbet.com Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown is shaping up to be an intriguing affair, despite the news that Finian’s Rainbow won’t be going to post for the two-mile contest.
Indeed, champion chaser Sizing Europe, who made a bold bid when upped to three miles in the Jnwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal at the beginning of November, finishing runner-up to Quito de la Roque, is set to lock horns with Tataniano and the down-in-trip Wishfull Thinking.
Added spice is provided courtesy of Gauvain, an easy winner at Cheltenham on his reappearance, and Tataniano’s stablemate Kauto Rock who scored in good style on debut for champion trainer Paul Nicholls at Down Royal on the same card as the aforementioned Jnwine.com Champion Chase.
The pace is likely to be furious on Saturday, with a number of the contenders invariably ridden prominently, which could be in the favour of Sizing Europe given that he’s clearly not short of stamina. However, he may well be upstaged by Tataniano who is taken to provide Nicholls with his seventh consecutive victory in this Grade 1 event.
The selection was well below par in two starts six months apart last term, but looked back to something akin to the horse that looked a future champion chaser when as a novice when routing the opposition in a handicap on his return to action at Chepstow in October.
Tataniano won’t be allowed to dominate in the Tingle Creek as he was able to at Chepstow, but his slick jumping will be a vital asset at Sandown, and providing conditions aren’t too testing at the Esher venue this weekend, I reckon the seven-year-old will have too much speed for Sizing Europe and Wishfull Thinking.