Tiutchev was yesterday the subject of some substantial ante-post bets at 50 to 1 for next year's Champion Hurdle with Coral. The firm reacted by cutting Tiutchev to 33 to 1.

The biggest individual bet was placed by a credit customer who had £400 each-way on the David Nicholson-trained hurdler. This client alone will collect £25,000 plus his stake if Tiutchev obliges at Cheltenham next March.

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

Jockey Michael Brennan was suspended for five days (December 26th and 28th to 31st inclusive) for whip offences on Golden Drum, a head winner of the Halewood International Lambrini Bianco Handicap Chase at Bangor yesterday. The stewards found that Brennan had used his whip with excessive force and after the winning post.

The quest is on for a new sponsor for the St Leger after Pertemps announced yesterday they will not be renewing their contract to back the oldest Classic.

Kwok Ting, one of 13 people arrested as a result of the latest race fixing probe in Hong Kong, has been jailed for six months. The former apprentice was one of three suspects that appeared in court yesterday where he admitted to taking bribes to fix two races in 1996.