Sacre out of Tingle contest

UN DE SCEAUX is odds-on favourite to win Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown after the expected non-entry of Sprinter Sacre.

Sponsors Betfair make Willie Mullins-trained Un De Sceaux 4-7 ahead of Paul Nicholls’ Haldon Gold Cup winner Vibrato Valtat (7-2).

Front- runner Un De Sceaux, a six-length winner of the Arkle Trophy at last season’s Cheltenham Festival, has won 13 of his 14 races.

Rivals on Saturday include 2013 Tingle Creek winner Sire De Grugy, who trainer Gary Moore insists is showing more spark than when well beaten by Vibrato Valtat last month, and Mick Channon’s Somersby, runner-up for the last two years.

Nicky Henderson still has two of the 10 entries in Josses Hill and Simonsig. Both are also entered in Sunday’s Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

Henderson had dropped heavy hints that he preferred not to run the rejuvenated Sprinter Sacre in the Tingle Creek so soon after his victory in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham.

As reported in Racemail, the Lambourn trainer is leaning towards running Sprinter Sacre in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on December 27. That is the race in which he suffered a fibrillating heart in 2013. SPARKS are expected to fly in the Tattersalls sales at Newmarket today. Aidan O’Brien’s Oaks winner Qualify, Richard Hannon’s 2014 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Tiggy Wiggy and James Fanshawe-trained Group One winner Ribbons are all being sold as future broodmares.