Tingle Creek turmoil as some bookmakers suspend markets after Douvan drift

There was Tingle turmoil for punters on Wednesday when, after a big Douvan drift, several bookmakers suspended betting on Saturday's showpiece at Sandown.

The situation has echoes of last year when Douvan, having traded at odds-on, was eased to 6-4 the day before Tingle Creek Chase declarations, while stablemate Un De Sceaux shortened, and he was not declared for Sandown and instead contested – and won – the Hilly Way Chase at Cork.

Fox Norton: now favourite for the Tingle CreekCredit: Mark Cranham

Douvan had been odds-on across the board for the Tingle Creek early on Wednesday but by mid-morning had been eased to 11-8, with Fox Norton promoted to favouritism and last year's winner Un De Sceaux on the march.

By lunchtime the majority of firms had suspended their market, and, on Wednesday night, Douvan and Fox Norton were both a best-priced 11-8 with the firms still betting on the Grade 1 contest. Un De Sceaux was 7-1, having started the day at 11-1.

Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield said: "We're a bit in the dark as to what's happening as all the shrewd cash is for Fox Norton, while Douvan is friendless.

"This suggests that Douvan might not run, but we just don't know. We haven't seen any support for Un De Sceaux but we've cut him purely because of the Douvan doubt."

Punters piling in

Rupert Adams of William Hill said: "We suspended betting early, just after 10.30am having cut Fox Norton to 7-4 from 9-4 at 9.17am, and then again at 9.24am – and punters were still piling in for 11-10 and evens."

Un De Sceaux, like Douvan, holds the Tingle Creek and Hilly Way entries, while Douvan is also entered for the John Durkan on Sunday, though another stablemate, Djakadam, is earmarked for that.

Douvan's spectacular 14-race winning streak came to end with injury when finishing seventh behind Special Tiara and Fox Norton in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, and on Monday jockey Paul Townend had expressed excitement at Douvan returning to tackle Sandown's two-mile speed test, especially the Railway fences down the back straight.

Track preservation

Sandown have moved early to counter a cold weekend forecast, repeating what was done in 2012 before Sprinter Sacre's romp in covering the whole track in a four-hour operation which ended at 2pm on Wednesday.

The 280 covers, measuring 14m x 10m, will be lifted for racing on Friday and put down again after the last race.

Andrew Cooper, racing manager and clerk of the course, reported on Wednesday: "We covered up today because it was dry and tomorrow is forecast to be unsuitably windy and wet, with 5mm forecast ahead of colder weather through Thursday night and into the weekend with a couple of degrees of frost.

"The ground is good to soft, good in places. It feels on the slow side of good but nothing softer than good to soft."

Betfair Tingle Creek card