The Betfair Tingle Creek Festival is back for 2022 but this year, the weather has put spanners in the work as the lack of rain could mar Tingle Creek Chase with Shishkin a doubt, Jonbon and Greaneteen big favourites on Saturday.
Friday kicks off the two-day festival that sees 13 races, with three graded races set to feature some of the top chasers in the game.
The issue this year is the rain, something that’s been prevalent this season is the lack of it at this late stage in the winter, effecting some of the biggest races causing multiple non-runners.
Earlier in November at Ascot there were a plethora of withdrawals on the day causing the whole meeting to only feature 30 horses.
There are plenty this weekend that will relish faster ground but it may be disaster for the Tingle Creek Chase where Shishkin and Edwardstone are far from confirmed runners due to the going.
Friday Tingle Creek Festival Betting Tips
2.20: Henri The Second
The Tingle Creek Chase and the Close Brother Henry VIII Novices’ Chase feature on the Saturday, but Friday’s feature race is the Grade 2 Ballymore Winter Novices’ Hurdle which should be led by Henri The Second.
Trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Harry Cobden, the pair could get a few winners at the festival this weekend with favourites scattered across the big races.
He had his hurdle debut in October and although he came second as 10/11 favourite there should be more to come from this Class 1 winning flat runner.
Especially against others in the field that are also still finding their feet and could be found out at this level.
Saturday Tingle Creek Festival Betting Tips
1.10: Jatiluwih
This sort of Class 2 hurdle is packed with potential but it comes from the Philip Hobbs-trained potential outsider Jatiluwih.
Off a mark of 148 this now eight-year-old was running in Grade 3’s, placing behind Third Wind and generally running with merit before going pointing, hunter chasing and then chasing.
His last three runs have seen his rating plummet to 138 but his poorer run in January can be forgiven for losing a shoe and not jumping fluently.
That won’t necessarily be an issue back over hurdles and will be much more economical, along with being much more competitive not carrying nearly as much when last seen over hurdles in top-class company.
2.20: Dixon Cove 16/1 each-way
There’s a few in this big field that are unexposed with only a few runs in their form to guide punters in how they will fare.
When comparing them to the likes of Love Envoi who won six in a row, unbeaten until her last run at Fairyhouse in a Grade 1 mares hurdle, it’s difficult to see how these newcomers will fare.
But they do have the weight advantage to counteract that and that’s where you often see big prices come and shock big fields and the top class races.
One of those is Dixon Cove, trained by Paul Nicholls, who was a Grade 3 hurdler in France back in May and won on his British debut at Hereford, easily by 13l and could be well-weighted on his France form.
2.55, Tingle Creek Chase: Greaneteen 1/1
Will there be enough rain for Shishkin? It’s not too likely at this stage which is probably why he’s drifted in the odds and seen Greaneteen head the market at evens.
And if betting at this stage, it’s certainly the safest bet as you’re also left with Edwardstone likely heading out due to the ground there’s just five runners left.
Gentleman De Mee looks weaker than Greaneteen at this stage, as does Captain Guinness, Funambule Sivola and Dunvegan.
The even money offered now might look like great value when it comes to the off on Saturday.
