Tingle Creek Entries: Sacre & Sanctuaire face Sandown showdown

Sprinter Sacre won the Arkle in fine style back in March

Big guns Sprinter Sacre and Sanctuaire feature among 10 entries for the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday after the Grade 1 contest was re-opened.

The two brilliant two-milers will put their 100% records over fences on the line at the Esher venue in an eagerly-awaited showdown.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Sprinter Sacre was a superb winner of the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival, beating impressive Haldon Gold Cup winner Cue Card hands down and duly earning a Timeform rating of 180p, making him the highest-rated chaser in training.

Sanctuaire made the switch to chasing only in the second half of last season but has yet to put a foot wrong, winning all three of his starts by wide margins, including a 17-length demolition of Victor Chandler winner Somersby in the Celebration Chase on the last day of the season.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Sactuaire, has also entered Doeslessthanme and Henderson also has a second string in French Opera.

The field is completed by by Escort'men, Gracchus, Idarah, Kinkeel, Kumbeshwar and His Excellency.