The 2018 winner and last year's fourth, Native River is just one of the 13 former Irish point-to-pointers amongst the 31 entries.
A winner of a Grade two event on his comeback run back in December at Aintree off a mark of 167, Denis Ahern's Dromahane graduate is a general 14/1 as he looks to regain that title and he is one of three ex-Pointers now with Colin Tizzard that feature in the line up.
The yards big hope will no doubt be Lostintranslation, one of the 'talking horses' of the season, who has won two Grade one races to date. The Tattersalls Farm graduate was previously trained by the late William Codd before joining the Colin Tizzard yard.
Second to Samcro on his debut effort in a four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange back in April 2016, Elegant Escape ran well in this contest last year to finish a creditable sixth and completes the Tizzard trio.
Going off favourite for the Welsh Grand National last month, he finished a very respectable sixth behind Potters Corner, having started his career with Gordon Elliott.
Going off favourite for the Welsh Grand National last month, he finished a very respectable sixth behind Potters Corner, having started his career with Gordon Elliott.
Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud are temselves responsible for four of the 13 former pointers amongst the entries. Alpha Des Obeaux was a very impressive winner of his four-year-old maiden at Tinahely back in 2014, winning by a comprehensive 20 lengths.
Death Duty is also entered and is coming off the back of a long absence. A facile winner of his four-year-old maiden for Pat Doyle back in 2015, he has delivered in graded company since, but has not been seen in some time.
A winner in Monksgrange in 2015 for Eoin Griffin, Road To Respect lost little in defeat when most recently seen finishing a cracking third in the Savills Chase over the Christmas period, whilst Shattered Love makes up the Gigginstown quartet. A winner at Lemonfield back in March 2015, she finished third to Al Boum Photo in Tramore on New Year's day last.
Monalee also lost nothing in defeat in recent times, finishing just a head behind Delta Work in what was a cracking finish to the Grade One Savills Chase. Previously, Monalee won his five-year-old maiden at Templenacarriga in January 2016.
The lightly-raced Chris' Dream, an emphatic winner of the Troytown Chase back in November, is Eugene O'Sullivan's Boulta graduate, with Bellshill representing the leading combination of Colin McKeever and Wilson Dennison when running at Maralin back in March 2014.
De Rasher Counter got his head in front in Borris House back in February 2017. Formerly trained by Tom Keating, he recently won the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase in Newbury in game fashion.
On that occasion he fended off the challenge of The Conditional, who also holds an entry in the Gold Cup. The son of Kalanisi was an easy winner for Martin Hassett in Boulta back in 2017.
On that occasion he fended off the challenge of The Conditional, who also holds an entry in the Gold Cup. The son of Kalanisi was an easy winner for Martin Hassett in Boulta back in 2017.
Top Ville Ben completes the list former pointers entered in this prestigious race. A winner of a Grade three handicap over the Christmas period, he was previously trained by Donnchadh Doyle where he won his four-year-old-maiden in Loughrea in April 2016.
