Why Jonbon Could Be The Bet Of The Season So Far In The Tingle Creek

The entry confirmations for the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday sees Willie Mullins’ Il Etait Temps, Dan Skelton’s L’eau du Sud, and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon head a field of six runners as Celebration Chase winner Il Etait Temps leads the market. However at 3/1 in the market right now, there may not be a better price this season for Jonbon.

At the end of last season Nicky Henderson saw his chasing superstar Jonbon’s season get end in disappointing fashion after conceding a 5 length loss to Willie and Danny Mullins’ Il Etait Temps. Mullins’ once star chase had not raced since May 2024 due to injury, but impressed back over fences last April, defeating odds on Jonbon, and the two will collide again this weekend.

Il Etait Temps will be one of Mullins’ big Cheltenham Festival hopes this year, and the obvious favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and his grade one debut this season comes in the Tingle Creek. Currently the Mullins’ star is priced as the 4/6 odds on favourite, just ahead of both Dan Skelton’s L’eau du Sud who beat Jonbon by 15 lengths at Cheltenham last month, and Jonbon the clear challenger who are both priced at 3/1.

The Shloer Chase, a race in which Jonbon again went off as the odds on favourite saw his Cheltenham record get even worse after conceding a massive loss to the Skelton’s, but that form is easily trumped due to Jonbon's terrible record at the track, and at a course he likes so much like Sandown, it won’t be a hard ask to reverse that form.

As far as value goes, there probably isn't a better value than Jonbon at 3/1 for the Tingle Creek, for many reasons. Number one is that Il Etait Temps, despite knocking him off at Sandown last season, was fresh, and Jonbon was coming off of a very difficult and long season, and with both horses fit and ready this year, it will be much more of a challenge. Number two, that loss at Cheltenham earlier this season means nothing. Sure L’eau du Sud is a very good horse, and one to watch out for, but on a course that Jonbon specialises on, and with fitness now under his belt for a falling behind Henderson stable, it may be a case of Jonbon just needed the run, and all cards are in his favour.

The Tingle Creek is set for another great renewal at Sandown this year, and the betting value is something we haven’t seen in a while. While Il Etait Temps is very favoured, and will likely be very well backed on the weekend, there is no reason not to take the value in Jonbon, and for me, the market really doesn’t reflect how the race could unfold.