Ballyoptic will shoulder top weight in Saturday's Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury after 19 horses stood their ground for the weekend highlight.
It's 20 years since trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies won the Grade Three three mile, two furlong handicap chase and the 10-year-old Ballyoptic has questions to answer in terms of form having pulled-up on his return to action in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
The Wetherby meeting looks like serving as a significant springboard for this year's Ladbrokes Trophy with Charlie Hall second and third, namely Vinndication and Aye Right, set to line up for in-form Kim Bailey and Borders trainer Harriet Graham respectively.
Bailey could have another string to his bow with Two For Gold, who also ran at Wertherby last month, as did Kildisart, Copperhead and La Bague Au Roi.
Sam Brown and Black Op were third and fourth behind Imperial Aura in the Colin Parker Memorial at Carlisle on their comebacks and that form has already been franked by the winner going in again in Graded company at Ascot over the weekend.
Last year's Ladbrokes Trophy runner-up The Conditional - who went on to taste success in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March - is on target for another crack at the Newbury pot, while Mister Malarkey, Cloth Cap and Paul Nicholls-trained duo of Secret Investor and Danny Whizzbang are other in the shake-up.
The Hollow Ginge, Ardlethen, Beware The Bear, Regal Encore, and Potterman complete the list of horses to have stood their ground.
Truckers Lodge and Siruh Du Lac were among the more notable withdrawals at the five-day stage.
