Clan Des Obeaux, Cyrname and Lostintranslation are three of just seven possible runners in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.
Irish hopes are carried by Footpad, who bids to provide Willie Mullins with his second victory in the race following the success of the popular Florida Pearl in 2001.
The seven-year-old made the perfect start to his campaign with a facile success in the Boomerang.ie Chase at Thurles last month.
However, having failed to rediscover that form in three underwhelming displays last term, Footpad was on something of a recovery mission on his reappearance in Tipperary - and he did not disappoint on his return from a 252-day absence.
Cyrname and Lostintranslation dispute favouritism for the St Stephen's Day feature, having made the perfect start to their respective campaigns on the same afternoon last month.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Cyrname inflicted a first defeat over jumps on Altior in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot, while Colin Tizzard's Lostintranslation proved himself a top-class staying chaser with victory over Haydock specialist Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase.
Nicholls is also set to saddle last year's winner Clan Des Obeaux as he bids to add to his record haul of 10 King George triumphs - with Altior, as expected, not among the confirmations.
Tizzard has a second string to his bow in Thistlecrack, who won the Kempton showpiece in 2016, finished fourth in 2017 and filled the runner-up spot behind Clan Des Obeaux 12 months ago.
The potential field is completed by Aso, trained by Venetia Williams, and Warren Greatrex's star mare La Bague Au Roi.
