Connections of Un De Sceaux are in no rush to decide whether he will defend his crown in the Tingle Creek at Sandown next month.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old won a thrilling renewal of the Grade One contest last season before going on to land the Clarence House Chase and the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, stretching his top-level tally to seven.

Un De Sceaux is nearing a return to action and looks set to run either at Sandown or in the following day's Hilly Way Chase at Cork, with the brilliant Douvan reported by Mullins earlier this week to have Sandown as his "number one" target.

Speaking after seeing Bachasson run out an impressive winner at Thurles, Un De Sceaux's part-owner Colm O'Connell told At The Races: " He's a savage horse. I'm asked five times a day whether it's the Tingle Creek or the Hilly Way and we just don't know.

"Calls won't be made on that until closer to the time. We leave all that to Willie. Willie will make the call and he has always made the right decision by everyone.

"I think everyone aims for March now, anyway."