Get real heads the betting at a best-priced 4 to 1 with the sponsors for Saturday's Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot, for which 12 entries were confirmed yesterday.
The Noel Meade-trained Hill Society and Arthur Moore's Manhattan Castle are on course for the £45,000-added event.
Meade has still to finalise riding plans for Hill Society. He said: "Nobody has been confirmed yet and it probably won't be sorted out until Wednesday. The horse is in great form."
With regular partner Lorcan Wyer suspended Tim Easterby has offered the ride on Cumbrian Challenge to Richard McGrath, who was in the plate at Wetherby when the 10-year-old came with a late rattle to collar Direct Route on the run-in.
"Richard rode a good race on him at Wetherby so I've offered him the ride at Ascot - if he's available," revealed Easterby.
Henrietta Knight declared Peterborough Chase winner Edredon Bleu, who heads the field for the two-mile contest on 11st 10lb. That means there is no rise in the weights at the five-day stage, leaving Get Real 5lb out of the handicap.
However, Miss Knight will only run the top weight if there is a dry spell.
Collier Bay is a surprise entry for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 1996 champion hurdler has been put in the March 18th race by Jim Old, despite suffering defeat in two of his three starts to date in novice chases.
The Paddy Mullins-trained Dawn Run is the only horse previously to have won both the two main races at the Cheltenham Festival, landing the Champion Hurdle in 1984 and the Gold Cup two years later.
Other novices among a total of 46 entries published yesterday include Edward O'Grady's Grade Three Leopardstown winner Nick Dundee and Jenny Pitman's Princeful, who is due to make his chasing debut on Thursday.
All the names prominent in current ante-post betting have been engaged for the three-and-a-quarter-mile contest, including market leaders Florida Pearl and Teeton Mill.
Past winners Cool Dawn (1998) and Imperial Call (1996) have both been put in a race which no horse has won twice since L'Escargot (1970 and 1971).
A nine-strong entry from Martin Pipe's yard includes then highly-touted ex-French gelding Tipstaff, who has yet to race in Britain, but not Challenger du Luc, who has made the frame in the last two King Georges.
Leading Cheltenham Gold Cup fancies Cyfor Malta and Imperial Call are both among entries for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Trainer Martin Pipe is considering a switch back in trip for Murphy's Gold Cup winner Cyfor Malta but Imperial Call's entry in the two-mile championship is a surprise as he won the Gold Cup in 1996 and has not run over the minimum distance since 1995.
Other notable entries from Ireland include Hill Society and 1996 winner Klairon Davis.
