Saturday's feature Paddy Power Gold Cup will see 15 contest the £90,000 prize.
Plenty of trainers will have nominated this as an early season target for their stable stars, with the race boasting a track record for being a good starting place for a young, improving second season chaser.
Exotic Dancer, Imperial Commander and Al Ferof are the most notable winners since the turn of the century and this year's renewal does look as if it has the potential to produce as a real top-class type going forward.
Meetmebythesea has been the name on everyone's lips, not just in the build-up, but pretty much ever since he won the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March. The form of that race couldn't have worked out much better; Gold Dancer and Regent's Stroll finished first and second respectively in a Grade 1 at Aintree, while King Alexander landed the Galway Plate over the summer. Ben Pauling's six-year-old has only been beaten twice in eight career starts and, should he defy a mark of 151 this weekend, will be tried at Graded level next time.
Champion trainer Dan Skelton may have something to say about that, however. He runs Blueking d'Oroux and Madara, with the latter donning the same silks as last season's runaway winner Panic Attack, arriving here off the back of a brilliant season. He, like Meetmebythesea, was successful at the Festival, absolutely hacking up in the Plate off 140. He takes his chance from a mark of 152 here after finishing a close third in the Topham at Aintree in April.
Punters have so far latched onto Blueking d'Oroux though, who has made the eye-catching, and now well trodden, switch from Paul Nicholls to Skelton. Sinnatra and Kabral Du Mathan have so far improved for a switch to Warwickshire and this seven-year-old has already proven himself to be an extremely high-class operator. He finished runner-up in the Grade 1 Manifesto Novices' Chase on just his fifth chase start and could have more to offer.
It wouldn't be like Nicholls to lie down in a battle and will fancy his chances with Quebecois. Things didn't go quite to plan in the Scottish Grand National at the back end of last season and Sam Twiston-Davies won't look back the ride he gave him when reappearing at Newton Abbott as his greatest moment in the saddle. But, he fits the trends of recent winners to a tee. Although he is yet to get off the mark over fences, he has good Cheltenham form, has the right age profile and is with a trainer who has an excellent record in the race.
Ireland haven't won this since Tranquil Sea stormed to success in 2009, but Henry De Bromhead could be the man to change that. His two-pronged assault on the race comes via July Flower and Zurich - two runners not unfamiliar with Prestbury Park. The former landed the Arkle Trial on this card 12 months ago, while the latter won at the October Meeting last season before returning to finish fifth in the Plate.
Paddy Power Gold Cup confirmed runners
Matata
Madara
Meetmebythesea
Johnnywho
Blueking d'Oroux
Riskinthegorund
July Flower
Quebecois
O'Moore Park
Guard Your Dreams
Zurich
Norn Iron
Release The Beast
Torneo
Dunkerque
Paddy Power Gold Cup betting odds
(Odds will display when market is available)
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
