Edredon faces five in Tingle

Chasing star Edredon Bleu will be reunited with Tony McCoy when he faces five rivals in the Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown on Saturday.

The popular nine-year-old has been beaten in two previous attempts at the #80,000 Sandown feature.

The 2000 Queen Mother Champion Chase hero was runner-up to Direct Route in 1998 and was third to Flagship Uberalles 12 months later.

Flagship Uberalles, still only a seven-year-old, will be seeking his third success in the race and each will have been achieved under a different trainer if he manages to do it.

Paul Nicholls and Noel Chance were the men in charge for the first two victories but he is now in the care of Philip Hobbs.

The other runners on Saturday include three trained by Paul Nicholls - Cenkos, Fadalko and Desert Mountain - as well as Latalomne, from the Brian Ellison yard.

Miss Knight said today she was 'very pleased' that McCoy would again be in the saddle for the race.

'Tony has ridden in this race before (when Edredon Bleu was third in 1999) but we have never been lucky with it.

'I have the utmost respect for a number of those horses. I think the dark horse is Latalomne. I have been very impressed with him - he is in our 10 to follow list.

'He`s a very good horse - and Flagship Uberalles could run well because he is fresh.'

Ellison is hoping for a good showing from seven-year-old Latalomne, who takes a big step up in class.

He said: 'He`s in good form but he should be the outsider of the field. It`s a good field.

'He`s a very good horse but is probably the least experienced in the field. He has run four races over fences and has won all four very easily, never really coming off the bridle.

'This is a big step up in class but I think he`s better than at Cheltenham. He has worked well and the good to soft will be all right for him.

'He will run well. I am not saying he is going to win but we will see what happens. He is definitely good enough to run in this class.

'As long as he comes back all right and jumps all right, I will be happy.'

The going at Sandown is currently given as good to soft, good in places on the chase course.