Betfair Tingle Creek Chase
Grade 3 Handicap, Sandown 15:00
£175,000 guaranteed,
4yo plus,
1m 7f 119y, Class 1  
Saturday 6th December 2025

1 Il Etait Temps 8/11F
2 Jonbon 3/1
3 L'Eau du Sud 7/2
5 ran Distances: 9l, 9l, 24l
Time: 3m 58.60s (slow by 8.60s)

Il Etait Temps was imperious once more, storming to his sixth Grade One with a smooth and authoritative display. A seven-year-old already familiar with this stage, he had dispatched Jonbon with ease here in April in the Celebration Chase, and returned to the same two-mile trip looking every inch a horse still on the rise.

Backed into 8-11, he travelled like the class act throughout. Jonbon, twice a winner of this race and keen to make it another, set the tempo and tried to stretch him turning for home. But when Paul Townend simply squeezed, the response was immediate and definitive — Il Etait Temps eased away, untouched, and nine lengths was the margin though it could easily have been more.

Townend could hardly conceal his satisfaction afterwards. “I’m very happy with him overall and he went through the race really easily.

“He’s grown up in the fact you can ask him for a jump early and you’re not setting him alight, he’ll come back to you. He jumps, he stays, he travels and we’ll have to now see what (stablemate) Majborough does tomorrow (in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork).

“I think he has to be classed as a major player in this division and what is in this division? He announced himself here in April and has played at the top table now and has to be one of the leading players. He’d be a nice ride if I can rob him off Danny (Mullins).”

Cheltenham hasn’t always been kind, three visits yielding no win yet, though a third in last season’s Arkle hinted at what was coming. Now, after this, he heads the Queen Mother Champion Chase market at 5-2 with Coral and carries the hopes of connections toward March with renewed momentum.

For part-owner Wayne Kieswetter, this was a day to savour — a world away from Cape Town sunshine, but no less meaningful. “For someone who grew up reading Dick Francis books back in South Africa, to be here and doing this in real life is special for us. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse and we won’t find one like this again.

“In South Africa we only have Flat racing and we are a big Flat operator, but my younger son Ross persuaded us to get into the jumps and we’ve been really lucky to be fair. We’ve been more lucky than we should have and it’s this lad’s sixth Grade One win – long may it last.

“Winning at the Cheltenham Festival would be like winning the world championships wouldn’t it. It would be like when Craig won the World Cup in 2010 and it would be a dream for us.

“We’re trying to find our way and this is my passion, but my sons Craig and Ross drive this for me and I’m very lucky to just pitch up and enjoy days like this.

“We were here the same time a few months ago and I actually stood in the same place. I’m not superstitious but I’m didn’t want to change that.

“It’s a big day for us in South Africa and we ran second in the fillies’ Guineas (with Reet Petite) but this is where I wanted to be – there’s not many races like this around.

“We love being part of Willie’s story, it’s special and wherever he wants to run Il Etait Temps, we’ll be there.”

Dominant, assured, and no doubt with more to come, Il Etait Temps left Sandown with the division very much at his mercy — and the clock now quietly ticking toward Cheltenham.

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1)
£175,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 119y, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Il Etait Temps 7 11-10 W P Mullins Paul Townend 8/11F
2 9 Jonbon 9 11-10 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 3/1
3 9 L'Eau du Sud 7 11-10 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 7/2
4 24 Libberty Hunter 9 11-10 Evan Williams Harry Cobden 25/1
5 33 Boothill 10 11-10 Harry Fry Bryan Carver 66/1

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