Bleu pleases in Tingle work-out

Edredon Bleu completed his build-up to Saturday`s Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Chase with a gallop this morning which delighted connections.

The nine-year-old is reported to be on course for the Sandown contest, despite fears over the possibility of unsuitably soft ground.

But Sandown clerk of the course Andrew Cooper is optimistic that conditions will not be too testing for the race despite an unsettled forecast.

And Terry Biddlecombe, the husband of Edredon Bleu`s trainer Henrietta Knight, told the Racing Channel today that he was looking forward to seeing the gelding in action again.

'He has improved no end, we did a bit of work with him this morning and he really impressed me,' Biddlecombe said. 'He has improved a lot.

'It`s exciting when he runs but nerve-wracking too.'

Edredon Bleu is set to renew rivalries with Flagship Uberalles in Saturday`s race, having been beaten by him in the 1999 running but finishing in front of him on the two occasions they have metsince.

Edredon Bleu is at his best on good ground and Cooper is hoping that the course`s new drainage system, installed in the summer, will help stop conditions from getting too muddy.

He reported: 'We had 5mm of rain last night but we are leaving the ground unchanged - it is good to soft, good in places on the chase course and good to soft, soft in places on the hurdle course - although it is fair to say that there are more soft places than there were on the hurdle course.

'I think the hurdle course going will ease more than the chase course.

'If we hadn`t have had the work done in the summer then the course would be considerably softer than we are now.'

On the betting front, opposition for Edredon Bleu forced Cork-based layers, Cashmans, to ease him out from 4-5 to 5-6.

Fadalko`s price was trimmed from 11-2 to 9-2 and Flagship Uberalles cut from 6-1 to 9-2.