Long Run & Sam Waley-Cohen after winning the 2011 Gold Cup at Cheltenham© Photo Healy Racing
Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Long Run and Imperial Commander both appear among the nine entries for Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock.
Nicky Henderson's Long Run, who took the Cheltenham highlight in 2011, chased home the rejuvenated Kauto Star in this valuable Grade One event 12 months ago.
It has been a long road back for Imperial Commander, the 2010 Betfair winner who was pulled up on his most recent start in Long Run's Gold Cup.
Paul Nicholls, who has won four of the seven runnings of the Lancashire highlight, could rely upon the recent Charlie Hall Chase winner Silviniaco Conti and Tidal Bay, who bolted up in the John Smith's Hurdle on the same day at Wetherby.
The Neil Mulholland-trained Midnight Chase and Wayward Prince, now with Hilary Parrott, who were both well beaten in the Charlie Hall, are still engaged.
This year's Gold Cup runner-up The Giant Bolster could make his seasonal reappearance for David Bridgwater, while the Donald McCain-trained Weird Al and Colin Tizzard's Cannington Brook complete the line-up.
