Legendary Tingle Creek Winners: 'Moscow Flyer is a true great' The Tingle Creek Chase is run annually at Sandown Park, and is one of the most prestigious races in British National Hunt racing. A Grade 1 contest over two miles, it has long served as the ultimate test for the fastest, boldest, and bravest jumpers in the sport. Over the decades, its roll of honour has become a catalogue of legendary horses whose performances not only defined their own careers but also elevated the race itself to iconic status. 1. Desert Orchid Arguably the best ever Tingle Creek winner in terms of ability, the beautiful grey captivated the racing public in the 1980s. His 1988 win came in the middle of an incredible season in which he excelled across multiple distances, a season where he also went on to win the King George and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Known as “Dessie”, he won the Tingle Creek just once but is possibly the most famous winner. 2. Sprinter Sacre Sprinter Sacre is widely regarded as one of the greatest two-mile chasers of all time and his 2012 victory was breathtaking, travelling with his trademark ease and then quickening away from high-class rivals as though they were standing still. At his peak, Sprinter Sacre was untouchable and when at his best, he had an invincibility rarely seen in the sport. 3. Flagship Uberalles The most successful horse in Tingle Creek history with three wins is Flagship Uberalles, whose treble success came between 1999 and 2001. He won his first Tingle Creek when trained by Paul Nicholls, his second when with the Noel Chance yard, and his third for Philip Hobbs, a season where he went on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham. He has to be high on the list. 4. Master Minded Just after the turn of the century, Master Minded delivered two performances of extraordinary dominance. He won the Tingle Creek in 2008 and 2010, in an era which saw Paul Nicholls win the race six times on the bounce. His first victory in particular remains one of the most devastating displays ever seen in the race when seeing off Tidal Bay by 10 lengths under Tony McCoy. He was only five at the time. 5. Moscow Flyer A back-to-back winner in 2023 and 2004, Moscow Flyer was already firmly established as a top-class two-mile chaser by the time he arrived at Sandown and his efforts can be marked up because his wins came during a period in which the division was fiercely competitive, with rivals like Azertyuiop and Well Chief. A dual winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase too, he is a true great. 6. Kauto Star Kauto Star’s 2005 Tingle Creek win came before his transformation into a record-breaking staying chaser. At that point, he was still campaigning as a two-mile specialist, but he went on to conquer the three-mile division, winning a staggering five King Georges and two Cheltenham Gold Cups. He also won the Tingle Creek in 2006 along the way.
