Mullins eyes Cork for Douvan as he relies on Sceaux in Sandown feature

Willie Mullins insisted Douvan had not been ripe to run in Saturday's Betfair Tingle Creek Chase but hopes the star chaser will be ready for a first outing of the season at Cork next weekend.

The champion trainer revealed his Racing Post Arkle winner had not shown enough sparkle at home to merit his place in Sandown's Grade 1 in which Un De Sceaux will represent the stable instead.

The Grade 2 Hill Way Chase at Cork on December 11 is now the target for Douvan, who was cut to as short as 4-7 for the Tingle Creek this week, having been available at as big as 5-1 when entries were made on Monday.

Mullins said about last season's five-time Grade 1 winner over fences: "We haven't made a definite plan for his return but the Hilly Way Chase at Cork a week on Sunday would look an obvious race to start him off in and he could go there."

The trainer revealed that Un De Sceaux had always been the yard's preferred Tingle Creek runner.

He said: "Un De Sceaux was probably the one all the time. Douvan is a novice going into Grade 1 company and he would have had to have been really sparkling at home to have run. But he didn't do enough for me to go over for a big test like that."

On Un De Sceaux's chance, Mullins added: "He's in good form and ready to start his campaign. It will be a tough assignment first time out but he's been to Sandown before and knows the track."

Bookmakers are struggling to split the Gary-Moore trained pair of Ar Mad and Sire De Grugy, both 100-30 chances behind the Mullins-trained 13-8 favourite in the maximum field of six.

Moore stole the show on Tingle Creek day last year through the Grade 1 victories of Sire De Grugy and Henry VIII Novices' Chase winner Ar Mad, but this time the trainer will send his stable stars into battle against one another.

It is clearly a huge weekend for Moore but it is also one of great significance for his sons Josh and Jamie, who have become synonymous with their big-race mounts Ar Mad and Sire De Grugy.

Josh Moore said: "You always look forward to these big days and if I don't win of course I hope Jamie and Sire De Grugy will.

"It's a bit of a shame they have to take each other on but there's not loads of options for horses at their level and it is the obvious race for both of them."

Ar Mad, who stormed to a ten-length success in the Henry VIII last year, has won all five times he has been ridden by Josh Moore but is none from four under Jamie. Josh doesn't feel that he is in a position to give his brother some gentle ribbing, however. "I can't [give him any stick] really as I've lost both times on Sire De Grugy," he joked.

Sire De Grugy is officially rated 9lb higher than Ar Mad but Josh Moore is confident that his mount can prove competitive.

"Ar Mad is getting back on track while Sire De Grugy has two runs under his belt and has been there and done it," he said. "But Ar Mad is unexposed and is coming from the other end of the scale – I don't think he is far away ability-wise."

"The course really suits him and it's an amazing feeling riding him at Sandown as the fences just keep coming at you. He really picks up and accelerates into his fences and gains ground."

Jamie, who has partnered Sire De Grugy to all 17 of the flashy chestnut's career wins, including two victories in the Tingle Creek, said: "Riding against Josh in a big race like the Tingle Creek will be no different to riding against him in any race."

He added: "I hope Ar Mad runs well, particularly as his owner Ashley Head, who is a great supporter of the yard, used to follow Sire De Grugy round when he was winning all the those races. For everyone in the yard I hope they both run well and come back safe and sound."

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper is "extremely optimistic" the two-day Tingle Creek meeting can start as scheduled on Friday, despite calling an inspection for 7.30am on raceday morning due to the threat of frost.

"We are being quite cautious in calling an inspection and are extremely optimistic," said Cooper on Thursday. "Hopefully we can give the thumbs-up straight away.

"We would have raced at 3pm but the weather could be a bit cooler than first thought – even though 0C is the lowest we should get down to – so we have acted on the safe side and called an inspection."

The going is good, good to soft in places on the chase course, with little rain forecast over the next couple of days.

Henry Brooke is hoping to add another chapter to the remarkable story of his recovery from a career-threatening injury when he teams up with Highland Lodge in Saturday's Becher Chase. Highland Lodge, who won last year's race under Brooke, features among 24 declarations for the Aintree spectacular which takes place over the National fences.