Ga Law is 5/1 joint-favourite with the sponsors for the Sky Bet Chase after 22 horses stood their ground at the six-day declaration stage.
Jamie Snowden’s charge has already snared one valuable pot this season, the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, and heads the market alongside Into Overdrive.
That progressive eight-year-old won the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby over Christmas for the Mark Walford team.
Nicky Henderson’s Dusart currently tops the weights and the trainer also has Mister Coffey still in the race too.
Cap Du Nord is another leading fancy, while notable horses taken out on Monday included French Paradoxe, Stolen Silver, Mr Incredible, Doyen Breed and Threeunderfive.
Brian Ellison reports last year's surprise winner Windsor Avenue to be on course to defend his title.
He said: "He ran really well at Newcastle, but then he finished lame the last time he ran and we found out afterwards he was sore in his knees.
“Hopefully we’ve got him back. He’s definitely working really well and we’ve managed to not miss anything with the bad weather, which is good. It’s a hot race and he has been frustrating, but he is in great form and when he’s on-song we know he’s a good horse.”
Windsor Avenue was fitted with blinkers for the first time in last year’s renewal, but did not finish his next three races in the headgear and it has been left off the last twice.
“The blinkers are finished for him,” Ellison added. “They worked at Doncaster last year, but they didn’t work after that – he didn’t want to know. He didn’t even want to go out on the track with them on at Aintree (in October), so we took them off and he then ran well in the Rehearsal. Hopefully we can get back to that.”
Sky Bet Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said of the entries: “It’s the 20th year of the Sky Bet Chase and this year’s renewal looks as competitive as ever. There are a number of horses very much at the top of their game at the moment and I’m sure this years race will be a cracker."
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