Tiutchev is now a top-priced 9 to 4 with Victor Chandler and as short as 6 to 4 with the sponsors for Saturday's Tote Gold Trophy following a 20lb rise in the weights at the five-day stage.

The rise means all bar one of the 22 horses left in yesterday will race off their proper mark favouring David Nicholson's six-year-old who had only 9st 3lb when the weights were published.

And Tiutchev was immediately cut to 2 to 1 from 5 to 2 by Coral and William Hill. Noel Meade's Nomadic is a 16 to 1 chance.

Second favourite Wahiba Sands, best-priced 6 to 1 with the Tote, will have to carry top-weight of 12st in the Newbury feature.

The Martin Pipe-trained Gerry Feilden Hurdle winner has been prominent in ante-post betting ever since he was handed 10st 8lb in the original handicap.

Pipe has also declared Rainwatch, Amitge and Vent D'Aout for a race he won with Make A Stand two years ago.