Ante-post favourite Village Vic is among 44 horses standing their ground at the confirmation stage for the Crabbie's Topham Chase at Aintree on Friday.
The Philip Hobbs-trained nine-year-old enjoyed a fruitful winter, winning four races on the bounce, including the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December.
However, his successful streak came to an end at the Festival after he was a well-beaten ninth to Vautour when stepped up in class for the Ryanair Gold Cup.
His main market rival in this appetiser over the Grand National fences is the Colm Murphy-trained Empire Of Dirt, who was victorious at Cheltenham in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase.
The weights are headed by Colin Tizzard's Third Intention, while Grand National entries the Kerry Lee-trained Bishops Road and Sir Des Champs from Willie Mullins' all-conquering stable have this as an alternative target.
Mullins is mob-handed, having also left in Blood Cotil, Turban, Ballycasey and Tennis Cap.
Others in a strong list include Paul Nicholls' Bouvreuil, Venetia Williams' Grand Sefton winner Bennys Mist, David Pipe's La Vaticane and the Nick Gifford-trained Fairy Rath, who was second in this race 12 months ago.
