Dramatic Tingle Creek change up after Willie Mullins decides not to run Douvan at Sandown
Following Douvan's non-declaration for the Tingle Creek and the subsequent reopening of the race, a field of seven will line up in Sandown's Grade One two-mile showpiece.
WILLIE MULLINS has not declared Douvan for the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday.
The seven-year-old, who has not been since suffering an injury when a short-priced favourite for last season's Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, drifted markedly in the ante-post betting for the two-mile Grade on Wednesday.
He did not appear among the declarations on Thursday morning and, although he still holds entries for a pair of races in Ireland on Sunday, the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase and the Hilly Way Chase at Cork, he won't take up those options either.
Mullins said: "Douvan did a fantastic bit of work on Tuesday and rode out yesterday (Wednesday) and today and I just wasn't happy with him.
"We couldn't get the ferry this morning, it wasn't going to be a ferry until tonight, which I wasn't too pushed about anyhow, and I decided if I wasn't going to run him Saturday, he won't run Sunday at Cork either.
"We'll just wait and hopefully have him right for Christmas. I imagine he'll run at Leopardstown."
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It is not the first time that Douvan has looked set to run in the Tingle Creek only for the Irish champion jump trainer to not declare him at the final declaration stage.
Last year, Douvan controversially didn't run after being backed on the week of the race from 5-1 into 4-7 by ante-post punters, aided by one bookmakers reporting that "all the people we respect are on".
Whilst Mullins was reluctant in recent interviews to fully commit Douvan to running at Sandown, his expected rider Paul Townend had expressed his excitement about riding Douvan at the course and owner Rich Ricci had all but confirmed the Tingle Creek as his primary target.
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Initially just the four runners were declared for the Sandown feature, but that number was boosted to seven after the race was reopened.
The Colin Tizzard-trained Fox Norton, who was only narrowly beaten by Special Tiara in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last season before striking Grade One gold at both Aintree and Punchestown, leads the way after making an impressive reappearance in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in November.
Gary Moore's Ar Mad, a Grade One winner as a novice on the same card two years ago, ran a fine race in last year's Tingle Creek to finish fourth, but needs to bounce back from a uncharacteristic and disappointing comeback display in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.
Politologue, the Haldon Gold Cup winner, and San Benedeto are the two runners for Paul Nicholls, who is seeking his tenth win in the race.
Tom George's impressive Ascot handicap winner Sir Valentino, Kim Bailey's Charbel and Henry de Bromhead's Ordinary World complete the line-up.