Last year's winner Unowhatimeanharry is one of nine confirmations for the JLT Reve De Sivola Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday.
Harry Fry's charge won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, the Long Walk and the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last season before finishing third in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival in March.
He avenged that defeat at Punchestown in April and made a successful reappearance at Aintree last month, but was beaten by shock winner Beer Goggles when defending his Long Distance crown. He is 13/8 for Saturday's race with Sky Bet.
Unowhatimeanharry's potential rivals this weekend include Neil King's Lil Rockerfeller (7/2) and the Nicky Henderson-trained L'Ami Serge (4/1), who finished first and second respectively in last month's Coral Hurdle at Ascot.
Henderson could also saddle Thomas Campbell (6/1), while Jedd O'Keeffe's Sam Spinner (8/1) is set to step up to Grade One level following a dominant display in the Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.
Back in eighth that day was The Worlds End, who rounded off last season with a top-level triumph at Aintree. His trainer, Tom George, is hoping the six-year-old can raise his game this weekend.
He said: "He has been working well and is in good form, so hopefully he will be ready to go at Ascot. I think we will possibly put the last run down to the soft ground, but we will just have to wait and see what happens the next time he goes to the races."
Agrapart (Nick Williams), Taquin Du Seuil (Jonjo O'Neill) and Ubak (Gary Moore) complete the entries.
JLT Reve De Sivola Long Walk Hurdle - Sky Bet odds: 13/8 Unowhatimeanharry 7/2 Lil Rockerfeller 4 L'Ami Serge 6 Thomas Campbell 8 Sam Spinner 12 The Worlds End 16 Taquin De Seuil 20 Agrapart 33 Ubak
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