Last year's winner and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard will face four rivals as he heads back to Haydock Park for Saturday's Betfair Chase.
The Henry De Bromhead-trained eight-year-old, who landed the Haydock feature by a massive 22 lengths on his first run last year and then took the blue riband at the Cheltenham Festival on his final start, was among the final field for the extended 3m1f Grade One contest as all five entries stood their ground. A Plus Tard is the 4-7 favourite with bet365 to grab a second successive victory this weekend.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding takes on Nigel Twiston-Davies' triple Betfair Chase hero Bristol De Mai, the Dan Skelton-trained Gold Cup third Protektorat, recent Wincanton winner Frodon from the Paul Nicholls' stable and Joe Tizzard's Eldorado Allen.
