Best Mate heads the 35 entries for the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephens Day as he bids to follow up last year's success.
The notable omission from the entries for the £160,000 contest is Ireland's Beef Or Salmon, who fell when second favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and returns to action at Clonmel tomorrow.
Among the big names who could contest the three-mile chase are last year's runner-up Marlborough, Edward Hanmer Chase winner Swansea Bay, evergreen veteran Edredon Bleu and impressive Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Fondmort.
The Richard Phillips-trained La Landiere, winner of Kempton's Racing Post Trophy, was a late entry and could attempt to become the first mare to win the coveted prize.
Cross-channel possibles include 2000 King George winner First Gold and last year's Feltham Novices' Chase winner Jair du Cochet, while Ireland is represented by the Willie Mullins-trained Adamant Approach and Ted Walsh's pair Commanche Court and Rince Ri.
Leading Hennessy Gold Cup contenders Keen Leader, One Knight and Hussard Collonges are also among the entries.
Entries:Ad Hoc (P Nicholls), Adamant Approach (W P Mullins), Ballinclay King (F Murphy), Batman Senora (I Williams), Best Mate (Miss H Knight), Commanche Court (T Walsh), Cyfor Malta (M Pipe), Edredon Bleu (Miss H Knight), First Gold (F Doumen), Fondmort (N Henderson), Gunner Welburn (A Balding), Hand Inn Hand (H Daly), Hussard Collonges (P Beaumont), Irish Hussar (N Henderson), It Takes Time (M Pipe), Jair du Cochet (G Macaire) Keen Leader (J O'Neill), Kingsmark (M Todhunter), La Landiere (R Phillips), Le Roi Miguel (P Nicholls), Man On The Hill (F Murphy), Marlborough (N Henderson), One Knight (P Hobbs), Rince Ri (T Walsh), Royal Auclair (P Nicholls), Seebald (M Pipe), Shardam (N Twiston-Davies), Sleeping Night (P Nicholls), Strong Flow (P Nicholls), Swansea Bay (P Bowen), Tarxien (M Pipe), Tiutchev (M Pipe), Tresor De Mai (M Pipe), Truckers Tavern (F Murphy), Valley Henry (P Nicholls).