Lucky Number Three For Moore In Tingle Creek

The Tingle Creek has produced some classic encounters over the years and while there are doubts about some of today’s runners, it still promises to be a fascinating renewal.

Speed Is On
With Un De Sceaux and Ar Mad locking horns you can be assured there is going to be plenty of pace in this year’s renewal and there’s every chance that the pair could set it up for Sire De Grugy to come along and snare a third Tingle Creek.

After all the chat about Douvan coming and going the market has well and truly settled down and Un De Sceaux sits at the head of it.

Making his first start of the winter, the Willie Mullins-trained 2015 Arkle winner shouldn’t lack in fitness as you’d have to imagine he’s an easy horse to get fit given his free-going style of running. Ar Mad is due to run for the first time since February after a setback ended his season prematurely when he would have been a fascinating rival to Douvan in the Arkle.

At 25/1 best priced with BoyleSports I actually think Ar Mad could prove to be a decent each-way bet for the Champion Chase in the ante post market as it could be a race that cuts up to a relatively small field and three of the horses currently ahead of him in the market, Vroum Vroum Mag, Altior and Black Hercules are all unlikely to run in the race.

However, for this race I think the front-running duo could set it up for the fit and ready Sire De Grugy to come along and pounce

and give Gary Moore a third win in the race with the admirable 10-year-old.

Sizing The Big Ones
The Aintree Grand National fences often provide drama but always provide entertainment and it’ll be good to see them in action for the Becher Chase and the Grand Sefton on Saturday.

There’s a strong Irish representation in Liverpool this weekend and although Sizing Coal let us down in this column before, he is given a chance to redeem himself this weekend.

Trained by Jim Dreaper, Sizing Coal is a 14/1 shot who can hopefully give a good account of himself on ground and a trip that should prove ideal.

The son of Presenting was a six and a half length winner of a modest contest at Sligo last time out but runs off just a 2lb higher mark on this occasion and if he can back that up with just 10st3lbs on his back, he has to have a chance.

The eight-year-old was tipped up in this column when he ran in the Midlands National back in March but never really went and was very disappointing before pulling up but he put that behind him to run well behind the very well fancied Fletchers Flyer at the Punchestown Festival and if he can come to this race in that sort of form he’ll give us a run for our money.

*Prices correct at time of publication