'He isn't going to be far away' - Nicholls fancies Politologue for Tingle Creek

Paul Nicholls believes Champion Chase hero Politologue is in the same fine form he was for the Cheltenham Festival and is praying for rain, which he thinks will increase the chances of the striking grey denying old rival Altior for the first time in the Betfair Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday.

Spectators can return to the majority of English tracks from Wednesday and around 1,000 tickets for Sandown's meeting sold out in 17 minutes.

Those present could witness Nicholls record an extraordinary 11th victory in the race, but Betfair make Altior, who won the Tingle Creek in 2018, their 4-5 favourite with Politologue, successful the previous year, 5-1, a point behind his improving stablemate Greaneteen.