Ferny Hollow taken out of Tingle Creek with Shishkin and Greaneteen on course

Ferny Hollow has been taken out of the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at the forfeit stage on Monday.

The Willie Mullins-trained chaser, owned by Cheveley Park Stud, was one of four horses not to stand their ground for the feature race at Sandown on Saturday.

Ferny Hollow, who won the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020, was last in action when landing a second Grade 1 in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown in December.

The seven-year-old is entered in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday week.

First Flow, who is set to return in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Sunday, was taken out of the Grade 1 chase along with outsiders Sizing Pottsie and Third Time Lucki. Thyme White had already been scratched.

Shishkin: one of seven remaining entries for the Tingle CreekCredit: Edward Whitaker

Greaneteen and Shishkin remain on course to clash for a second time.

Shishkin defeated Greaneteen by ten lengths on his return in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on soft ground last season but Greaneteen’s record at Sandown and the prospect of a sounder surface make for an intriguing battle.

Greaneteen, trained by Paul Nicholls, is a three-time Grade 1 winner at the Esher track, including in this race last year when beating stablemate Hitman by five and a half lengths.

The Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin lost his unbeaten record over fences when he was pulled up in the Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival when last in action in March. He was diagnosed with a rare bone condition after that, but the Tingle Creek has long been a comeback target.

Nicholls has landed the Tingle Creek a record 12 times, while Sprinter Sacre and Altior have been Henderson’s winners of the top-level chase.

Seven entries remain for the big race, including Arkle winner Edwardstone and Maghull Novices’ Chase scorer Gentleman De Mee, one of three possible runners from Ireland.

The £175,000 chase has attracted a double-figure field just once since the turn of the millennium, with the last two years yielding five-runner fields. The smallest field since 2000 was four runners when Altior scored in 2018.

There is a dry week forecast at Sandown with the going described as good, good to soft in places on the chase course and soft, good to soft in places on the hurdles course.

Betfair spokesperson Barry Orr said: "It's fantastic to see some of the best two-mile chasers around entered up and, ground permitting, we should get a race to savour. It has all the makings of a vintage renewal.

"Shishkin is on somewhat of a recovery mission and has to prove himself again but he’s been installed a shade of odds on at 10-11. Returning champion Greaneteen, who is said to be in rude health following his win in the Haldon Gold Cup, is the 7-4 second favourite, while Edwardstone, who is running in open company for the first time, is 11-4."

Tingle Creek Chase confirmations

Captain Guinness
Dunvegan
Edwardstone
Funambule Sivola
Gentleman De Mee
Greaneteen
Shishkin

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Saturday 2.55, Sandown)

Betfair: 10-11 Shishkin, 7-4 Greaneteen, 11-4 Edwardstone, 9-1 Gentleman De Mee, 12-1 Captain Guinness, 25-1 Dunvegan, 25-1 Funambule Sivola

Jonbon remains on course for Sandown

Jonbon: set to feature on the Tingle Creek undercard at SandownCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Jonbon, an impressive winner on his chasing debut at Warwick this month, is one of five entries for the Grade 1 Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase on the undercard, with Monmiral and Boothill among his potential opposition.

Cheltenham Festival winner Love Envoi could return in the £60,000 handicap hurdle on the undercard, while Grand National hero Noble Yeats, Ahoy Senor, Chantry House, Dusart and Sounds Russian are among ten classy entries for the BoyleSports Many Clouds Chase at Aintree.

Aintree Grade 1 winner Millers Bank is entered in the Many Clouds Chase and the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon the following day, where his rivals could include Allmankind, Mister Fisher and Pic D'Orhy.

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