Spotlight: Acts on any ground; withdrawn from this contest 12 months ago when his stable was under a big cloud; has become a powerhouse in this division and readily beat Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot most recently, registering an eighth Grade 1 success over fences; has met his only defeats at Cheltenham, including twice at the Festival (admittedly a creditable second both times), and two Shloer wins over C&D do not feature among his best figures; furthermore, favourites have a notoriously bad record (only three wins and several dismal flops) in this race in the last decade; those doubts aside, he's better than ever judged on last two performances and the clear pick on current form.

Spotlight: Unraced on heavy, acts on any other ground; unbeaten spell featured a ready success in the Supreme at this meeting two years ago when given a superb ride by the late and greatly missed Michael O'Sullivan; 0-4 since successful debut over fences but ran very well (produced a career-best RPR) in the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown most recently, emerging from the chasing pack to finish only 2l behind Solness and pull clear of the remainder; peaking at the right time and, with a fast pace likely, the cards could drop perfectly on this return to Cheltenham; respected, with further progress very plausible.

Spotlight: Major force in this division in his prime and recorded emphatic wins in this contest in 2022 (albeit with the race falling apart) and 2023, both on soft; successful in Cork Grade 2 and second to Jonbon in Ascot Grade 1 since returning from lengthy layoff, doing enough to put him in calculations in this third Champion Chase attempt; sets the standard on peak figures, but whether he's capable of reproducing them at the age of 11 is open to doubt.

Spotlight: Sometimes jumps right; probably best to forgive his rare blip last time, as he was found to have a slight bilateral nasal discharge after the race; chase record otherwise reads 12122111, beating Solness by a neck in Navan Grade 2 the final occasion; respectable second in the Arkle at this meeting last year and was a dual Grade 1 scorer during that novice campaign; likely to bounce back and perform well.

Spotlight: Looked a notch or two below championship standard for most of his career; however, he's taken his form to a completely new level with front-running Grade 1 wins at Leopardstown (yielding/good to yielding) the last twice, both times establishing a clear lead at various points and not for catching; stuck on gamely to beat Marine Nationale by 2l latest, confirming his sudden emergence as a realistic Champion Chase contender; possibilities, provided he's able to dominate in the same manner.

Spotlight: Has performed well in both Champion Chase attempts but proved no match for Energumene in 2023 and looked a fortuitous winner last year when the race fell apart (Jonbon was withdrawn and odds-on El Fabiolo failed to complete); his recent form adds doubt, having been well held in Leopardstown contests won by Solness the last twice.

Spotlight: Has form figures of 112312 in completed chase starts and 121 (three handicaps) at Cheltenham; good second in the Grand Annual on this card 12 months ago and filled the same position in the Game Spirit at Newbury most recently; progressive but has the lowest rating of the field.

Spotlight: Landed the Triumph Hurdle here in 2021; still seeking a first Grade 1 success over fences and form dipped in the Dublin Chase most recently, failing by a long way to confirm Naas November placings with Marine Nationale; ran well but was no match for Jonbon in the Tingle Creek in between; not the percentage call.