Cheltenham Gold Cup hopeful Cue Card will be looking to get back in the winners’ enclosure at Ascot this Saturday
Tizzard's chaser is looking to bounce back to winning ways after he found stablemate Thistlecrack too hot to handle in the King George in his last start
CUE CARD will face just five rivals in Saturday's Ascot Chase.
The 11-year-old won this race in 2013 but has since been campaigned over further.
His latest run came in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day when he was behind stablemate Thistlecrack.
Trainer Colin Tizzard is using this race as a prep for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in which Cue Card fell at the third-last fence last March when holding every chance.
Cue Card has quite a bit in hand of his rivals at the ratings and they include Irish Cavalier, who had the Tizzard star back in third when winning the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October. However, he has failed to live up to that form in two races since then.
The eight-year-old is trained by Rebecca Curtis, who has also declared Shantou Flyer.
Jonjo O'Neill relies on Taquin Du Seuil. winner of the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham while Gary Moore saddles Traffic Fluide, who finished last of four behind Altior in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last weekend on his first start for 13 months.
The Philip Hobbs-trained Royal Regatta, winner over the course and distance in the Stella Artois 1965 Chase in November, completes the field.
Meanwhile at Haydock, Ante-post favourite Blaklion bids to boost his Aintree prospects when he lines-up for the Betfred Grand National Trial Handicap Chase.
Last season's RSA Chase hero, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, has yet to win this season but has run creditably in three notable races in the calendar - the Charlie Hall Chase, the Hennessy and the Rowland Meyrick.
The eight-year-old is set to face 13 rivals in this stamina test over an extended three and a half miles.
They include Goodtoknow who returned to form with victory at Hereford at the beginning of the month. He bids to give trainer Kerry Lee back-to-back victories in this race after Bishops Road 12 months ago.
Philip Hobbs' Kruzhlinin won the valuable 'Fixed Brush' handicap hurdle at Haydock in November and was second to Our Kaempfer over fences at Kempton last month.
Among others in the mix are David Pipe's Becher Chase scorer Vieux Lion Rouge, Ian Williams' Gas Line Boy and Sue Smith's Wakanda and Vintage Clouds.