Horse racing: Tingle Creek relief for Twiston-Davies

Twiston-Davies was due to serve a three-day suspension, which would have seen him miss the mount on the Paddy Power Gold Cup winner, who is trained by his father, Nigel, in the December Gold Cup.

But with the Grade One Tingle Creek having been switched to Cheltenham due to Sandown's abandonment on Saturday, the young rider is eligible for the ride under British Horseracing Authority regulations. BHA rules stipulate that Twiston-Davies can defer his suspension, which falls under the four-day threshold, on days in which Grade One races are being staged.

The up-and-coming jockey was given a three-day ban, which he failed to overturn following a Thursday appeal, after being found guilty of careless riding on Mad Moose at Kempton last month.

David Mackinnon, managing director for Sandown, said: "The Tingle Creek meeting on the Saturday has grown in recent years and we had gathered such momentum that in 2009 our paying attendance was the highest for 10 years.

"We are devastated to have abandoned the meeting as it's a day of fantastic racing. However we are delighted the Keith Prowse Hospitality Tingle Creek Chase has been rescheduled at Cheltenham."

Sandown racegoers with annual membership and jumps membership will get free admittance to both days of Cheltenham's International meeting.

Meanwhile, talented apprentice Julie Burke further advertised her riding talents by guiding Magic Cross to victory in the Parade Restaurant Nursery at Wolverhampton last night. Charlie McBride's youngster was not winning out of turn, having twice filled the runner-up spot at Dunstall Park in November, and she was sent off the 7-4 favourite to go one better. The filly stumbled on the turn for home but soon regained her momentum and managed to hold off the challenge of Shutterbug by three-quarters of a length.