Tingle Creek latest news

With Barry Geraghty maintaining his successful association aboard Big Zeb, Tom Cooper has found a worthy replacement in Tony McCoy to ride Forpadydeplasterer in the Keith Prowse Hospitality Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

However the prospect of testing conditions is now the main worry for the Tralee handler. "It's not ideal and I'll be going across to look at the track, probably on Thursday," said Cooper before adding, "If it went heavy it would stop us running."

Big Zeb will travel to England on Thursday ahead of the two-mile test, with trainer Colm Murphy delighted with the condition of his Fortria Chase winner.

"He seems in good form, I am very happy with him and he has done well since Navan so I am looking forward to the weekend. We couldn't have asked for more at Navan and he has done well since, so I hope it is onwards and upwards from there," said Murphy.

The eight-year-old tripped when still travelling well in the Champion Chase in March and went on to run Master Minded to a head at Punchestown, despite making a mistake at the final fence, something which Murphy hopes is a thing of the past.

"He jumped very good in Navan and he has done a good bit of schooling and we have worked on his jumping," the County Wexford handler told At The Races.

"Last year he was only a second-season novice taking on the big boys, and I think another year under his belt will stand him in good stead."

Well Chief will be lining up in the Tingle Creek for the second time, having finished third to Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop in a stirring climax in 2004.

Owner David Johnson said: "He got a cut at Cheltenham but seems to be over that and his legs are holding up fine. I get a daily bulletin on him and he's been swimming this morning. David Pipe is very pleased, and there will be no excuses."

"He has been out of the frame for so long that a lot of people seem to have forgotten about him, and he was just a six-year-old when he was racing against Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop."

"I am really excited about the weekend and the ground should be ideal for him. I imagine it will be soft and that will help his legs to stop them getting jarred up. I expect him to get there and run his race. Beyond that may the best horse win."

However both Crack Away Jack and Tidal Bay look set to miss the race, with the former set to favour the Grade 2 betinternet.com Henry VIII Novices' Chase on the same card.

The five-year-old made a winning debut over fences at the Esher track at the start of November, and part-owner Greg Charlesworth said "We thought he was very impressive at Sandown, where he jumped very well. He got in close to a couple but he got himself right."

"I think we'll probably go for the novice. I think they entered him in the Tingle Creek because we just wanted to see what runners were there, but I'm pretty sure he'll go for the Henry VIII."

"He ran a great race in the Champion Hurdle where he came from stone last. Hopefully he runs well on Saturday and comes back sound and we can look to Cheltenham again in March."

Ground conditions appear to have claimed last year's runner-up Tidal Bay as trainer Howard Johnson is leaning towards Huntingdon on Thursday week for the eight-year-old.

He said: "He'll probably not run, to be honest, as it could be too soft. He's fine at the moment and he'll probably go to Huntingdon for the Peterborough Chase instead."

Sandown clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said: "At the close of play today I suspect the chase course will be soft, good to soft in places, with the better ground along the whole of the back straight."

"After 40 millimetres of rain at the weekend, the hurdles course is soft, heavy in places. We have been dry since 10am yesterday but there is rain to come between now and Saturday."

"There are rain bands coming through most days and we are forecast up to 5mm tonight. There will then be heavy showers tomorrow, and they could develop into something more significant and give up to 10mm. Thursday and Friday are mostly dry but Saturday could be wet and the forecast is certainly unsettled so we could end up quite soft."