Temps team looks all set for Tingle Creek test
Il Etait Temps and Paul Townend win for trainer Willie Mullins at Clonmel. Picture: Healy Racing
Il Etait Temps will try to stake his claim to the two-mile chasing crown when he lines up for Willie Mullins in Saturdayās Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
It was when emphatically downing Jonbon in the Celebration Chase on the final day of the season that this Grade One showpiece came on the radar for the Closutton team and after breezing to victory in the Clonmel Oil Chase on his early-season reappearance, now heads to Esher in search of a sixth top-level prize.
āThereās massive excitement and heās been a great servant who owes us nothing, so weāre very much looking forward to the race on Saturday,ā said Ross Doyle, racing manager for owners Hollywood Racing & Barnane Stud.
āHe was breathtaking at Sandown at the end of last season and Willie was very keen to get him a run at Clonmel as a prep run for the Tingle Creek. We were obviously very happy with that and itās all systems go now for the Tingle Creek.
āAll the owners are excited and the majority will be there so it will be a big day for everybody.
āHe has to prove himself again this season and there will be opportunities like Saturday there for him. If he can stay in one piece and we get a bit of luck, then hopefully we will be at the top table for the rest of the season.ā
LāEau Du Sud is another to claim the scalp of Jonbon recently having handed Nicky Hendersonās stalwart of the two-mile scene a 15-length beating in Cheltenhamās Shloer Chase.
Trainer Dan Skelton can do little wrong at present and he sees āno negativesā ahead of returning to the course and distance that saw him strike Grade One gold as a novice chaser.
āIām really happy with him, weāve got no negatives,ā said Skelton.
āWeāre taking on Jonbon with a run under his belt and that will obviously be harder and Willie is sending over Il Etait Temps, so itās going to be very hard because he looks bombproof,ā he added.
