Foxchapel King heads the 26 entries left in the attheraces Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday following today's confirmation stage.
Peter Beaumont has withdrawn Hussard Collonges, who had been at the head of the handicap, leaving the Mouse Morris-trained Foxchapel King set to shoulder top weight of 11st 12lb.
The weights are set to go up 4lb, which brings all but eight horses into the handicap proper. Noel Meade has left Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup third Harbour Pilot in the £150,000 feature.
Harbour Pilot will be racing off a mark of 152 but he has since been raised to 160 following his fine effort at Cheltenham making him 8lb well-in at Sandown but Meade has warned that the eight-year-old would require some ease in the ground to run. The going at Sandown is currently described as good to firm.
Francois Doumen has left in back-to-form chaser First Gold, who recorded a very impressive success in the Martell Cognac Cup at Aintree when blinkered for the first time. However, the 10-year-old could instead head to Ireland the following week for the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup.
Martin Pipe has a typically strong hand in the attheraces with nine entries. They are last year's winner Bounce Back, Scottish Grand National second Stormez, Royal Auclair, You're Agoodun, Iznogoud, Take Control, Royal Predica, Burlu and Carryonharry.
Paul Nicholls is another trainer with multiple entries, which include Ad Hoc, the winner two years ago when the race was known as the Whitbread, and Martell Cognac Grand National fifth Montifault.
Filed by James McMahon
