Keeper Hill among 22 on course for Caspian Caviar Gold Cup

Warren Greatrex feels the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup could be the right race for Keeper Hill after the recent Haydock winner was among 22 five-day confirmations for the valuable handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The Lambourn trainer is happy with the eight-year-old again after revealing the victory on Merseyside - his first race for 231 days - did take a lot out of him.

Greatrex will continue to monitor him in the next few days with a view to letting him take his chance. It is a possibility he will go and we will just see how he is this week. He has come out of the Haydock race well, although he took a week to get over it," he said.

"He seems in really good form and the Caspian Caviar is something we will look at. I think the race is right for him. Keeper Hill has gone up a few pounds (7lb) for his last win but he is a good horse."

The weights are now headed by Venetia Williams' Cepage after Kalashnikov was scratched by trainer Amy Murphy.

Cepage was second to Riders Onthe Storm at Aintree on his first run since he was second in this race last December. The latter, from the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable, is also in the mix but will need to defy a hefty 13lb hike in the weights.

Nicky Richards' 2017 winner Guitar Pete, BetVictor Gold Cup third Warthog, Casablanca Mix, Secret Investor, Brelan D'As and Not That Fuisse are also in the mix. Robin Des Foret, trained by Willie Mullins, is the sole Irish possible.