The Sandown Tingle Creek Festival of 2025 has a day 1 card on Friday, 5 December that could prove to be just as informative for Cheltenham as the Grade 1s that follow. That’s because the Greater London track has two Grade 2s in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle and Esher Novices’ Chase on the opening day of this two-day fixture.
Although these co-feature contests attract small fields, they are the last chances before Christmas for promising novices in certain divisions to have a run. The emphasis is on quality, rather than quantity, as is so often the case in horse racing today. The supporting card doesn’t look too shabby either with a couple of handicap chases and a four-year-olds only handicap hurdle.
While the fixture’s signature steeplechase is still to come on Saturday, Cheltenham bookmakers will cut their prices for the Festival if something lays a marker down here. While the Sandown Tingle Creek Festival 2025 day 1 runners race clockwise instead of left-handed, the course’s emphasis on getting into a rhythm jumping fences, especially down the back straight, stands winners in good stead.
Both tracks test equine ability. The circuit at Esher has its famous Railway Fences and the Pond Fence before the unique dual fence taken as an open ditch initially and then a plain jump as the last obstacle up the hill. We left our horse racing experts to study the form on offer for the small but select fields on show at Sandown Park. Here are their Friday fancies for five fascinating races that should tell us plenty…
Sandown Tingle Creek Festival 2025 Day 1 Preview for Friday, 5 December
1:10 – 1m 7f 99y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-130)
RACE 7 RESULT – Download the DragonBet App Handicap Chase @DragonBetWales
🥇 Keep Running
🥈 Sir Psycho
🥉 Art Of DiplomacyJockey: @james_bowen_
Trainer: @wgreatrexracing
Owner: Mrs J Fowler pic.twitter.com/IAu2YfJjmI— Ffos Las Racecourse (@FfosLasRC) January 11, 2025
Just five in the first steeplechase of the day, but Warren Greatrex’s joint-topweight KEEP RUNNING hit form this time last season. He struck twice in this grade last November and January. Although 6lb above his last winning mark now, he wasn’t disgraced off his current rating of 129 when chasing home course specialist Bad around Kempton.
That one has come out and won twice there since, then finished fifth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham races last month. Keep Running has had a pipe opener over hurdles and performed well when runner-up again around Fontwell. He should strip fitter for that reappearance and now switches back to fences.
Micky Hammond runner Coup De Coeur has been pretty consistent in this sphere over the last 12 months or so with two wins and three other top three finishes. Given one of those victories came at Carlisle, his reappearance third around Kelso was on a track plenty sharp enough for him. Coup De Coeur could also come on for that run now back on a more galloping course.
The others don’t make much appeal. Other joint-topweight Krak hasn’t jumped a fence in public yet for the Twiston-Davies stable and owners Simon Munir & Issac Souede. Paul Nicholls runs French import Mon Champion, but he’s a four-chase maiden from his time across the Channel. Dan Skelton saddles Northern Air, but she was far from fluent on her debut in this discipline last time.
1:45 – 2m 3f 178y Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle
Another five-horse race on the Sandown Tingle Creek Festival 2025 day 1 card, but it could boil down to a match on paper between No Drama This End and TORMUND GIANTSBANE. Game of Thrones fans will naturally gravitate to the latter, but he’s crucially won right-handed. That’s something the Cheltenham winner No Drama This End doesn’t have on his CV.
That one also carries a 5lb penalty for previous success in this grade at the November Meeting over further. While No Drama This End looked very smart indeed landing his hurdling debut around Prestbury Park, he isn’t value at odds-on here. On that basis, Tormund Giantsbane appeals to build on his own promising bow in this sphere at Carlisle.
Olly Murphy’s The Blue Room looks best equipped stepping up in trip to capitalise if either of the big two don’t fire here. Representing Bective Stud, his Irish Point and UK bumper background suggests this longer distance can bring about further improvement. Whether we can expect it against runners from two other top British stables at this stage remains to be seen, however.
Top Jimmy hasn’t done anything wrong in landing a Uttoxeter maiden and novice for the Twiston-Davies team, but softer ground poses a new question for him. Anthony Honeyball runs heavy ground course bumper winner Crackerjacque after a successful hurdles bow around Fontwell. He’s another who will appreciate greater stamina tests, but could do with more than the light rain forecast hitting the track.
2:20 – 3m 42y Grade 2 Esher Novices’ Chase
A lovely round of jumping from Doyen Quest in the £40,000 ICL Conscious Of Our Impact ‘Future Stars’ Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase 👏 @DSkeltonRacing pic.twitter.com/tubQJtaLDQ
— Exeter Racecourse (@ExeterRaces) November 7, 2025
A regular on previous Cheltenham race cards in staying handicap hurdles, Doyen Quest can continue to scale new heights over fences now. If old rival Quebecois shouldn’t hold any fears based on the evidence from Exeter, then both Salver and Laurens Bay who have run well here in the past could pose threats. The former is a frustrating horse to follow, though.
Salver missed out on Select Hurdle glory here at the end of last season by a head. He’s upped almost a mile distance from his chasing debut when third to Lulamba also at Exeter. Laurens Bay landed the EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle Final here in the spring, but only won a match for Jamie Snowden first time out over fences.
2:55 – 3m 42y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-135)
WHAT A FINISH! 🤩
Hidden History gets up late at @AintreeRaces to beat Theatre Man for @DSkeltonRacing and @harryskelton89 👊@WilliamHill | @WillHillRacing pic.twitter.com/bZ4A4RQHKm
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 8, 2025
Since joining his current stable, however, Hidden History has some good form in the book. He beat subsequent Aintree Premier Handicap hurdle winner Wellington Arch around Uttoxeter and then finished a neck behind Chepstow Silver Trophy scorer Rambo T up at Perth. It gives him a slight edge, for all both Hidden History and Champagne Twist should both have learned plenty from their chasing debuts.
Fergal O’Brien newcomer In D’Or cost £220,000 at the Sales, but has topweight for new connections off a break of 269 days. The handicapper seems reluctant to cut Welcom To Cartries any slack, meanwhile, despite the fact he has just one win in eight starts since joining Nicholls. Of those lower in the weights, Charlie Longsdon’s course winner New Order must strip fitter for his reappearance here.
The rest don’t really appeal. Java Point would be better off in veterans’ races as a 10-year-old. British Point winner Tommy The Tank makes his chasing bow for the Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole team. Fences might bring about improvement, but he didn’t pull up any trees over hurdles. If recent Cheltenham results from amateur riders’ races are any indicator, then Ideal Des Bordes and Kelce look in the grip of the handicapper.
3:30 – 1m 7f 216y Class 4 Four-Year-Old Handicap Hurdle (0-120)
Haydock front three Gibbs Island, Give It To Me Oj and Lavender Hill Mob have all won races this season. Marche d’Aligre wasn’t disgraced when chasing home a race-fit, locally-trained course specialist up at Wetherby on reappearance either. He’s now back in against horses of his own age off 3lb higher. Lower in the weights it FIGHT MY FIRE represents the Joe Tizzard stable, who had such a fine November.
He makes his handicap debut off an opening mark of 112 after chasing home two more experienced Nicholls rivals he gave weight to around Wincanton. Elsewhere, dual course second Galactic Charm can’t be discounted, but the market says Across Earth is the pick of two for the Gary & Josh Moore stable. The Twiston-Davies team run the hat-trick seeking Ocean Quest, meanwhile, following successive wins at Ludlow.
Knight Templar was a close third around Exeter 12 days ago and the handicapper has left him alone on a 110 rating. Courageous Strike placed in a St Leger Trial on the Flat, so stamina could well be his forte for Nicholls. Jo Davis runner Benvoy has had wind surgery as he tries to recapture his winning form from the spring. Skelton filly La Belle Argentee makes her handicap bow off bottom weight, but she’s still a maiden.
