Tingle Creek 'number one' target for Douvan return

Douvan is on course to make his long-awaited return to action in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown .

Trainer Willie Mullins is favouring an outing in the Grade One contest on December 9 over an outing in either the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase or the Hilly Way Chase at Cork. The eight-times Grade One winner has been sidelined since sustaining a stress fracture to his pelvis when finishing down the field in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, losing his unbeaten record over fences in the process.

Mullins said: "He has entries in the Hilly Way, John Durkan and Tingle Creek. I would say that the Tingle Creek looks like the one at the moment. We have got to pencil one in and the other races will be considered, but the Tingle Creek would be number one. Everything has been very good with him."