Racing: Tiutchev nibbled at for the Champion

TIUTCHEV, WHO was an impressive winner of a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday, was yesterday the subject of some substantial ante- post bets at 50-1 for next year's Champion Hurdle with Coral. The firm have cut him to 33-1.

The biggest individual bet was placed by a credit customer who had pounds 400 each-way on the David Nicholson-trained hurdler.

"The Champion Hurdle betting has been stagnant up until now, but now several customers are latching on to Tiutchev as the each-way value against Istabraq," Coral's spokesman, Simon Clare, said.

Michael Brennan was suspended for five days for whip offences on Golden Drum, a head winner of the handicap chase at Bangor yesterday.

The stewards found that Brennan had used his whip with excessive force and after the winning post Explaining why he had hit Golden Drum after the winning post Brennan said: "I pulled my goggles down at half-way and a sod got in my eyes and as a result my visibility wasn't very good."