Four Willie Mullins-trained runners are among the 10 Irish-trained horses declared for Saturday's Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury.

It was Mullins who supplied the most recent Irish-trained runner of the race, when Total Recall won in 2017, and the odds are against Ireland providing the winner of this famous race on Saturday, even though the first six horses in the weights are all Irish - two from Mullins and one each from Henry de Bromhead, Tom Gibney, Gordon Elliott and Gavin Cromwell.

As of Thursday evening the shortest priced Irish runners, both at 16/1, were Spanish Harlem and Blizzard Of Oz, both trained by Mullins. Spanish Harlem won the Kerry National at Listowel in September. Blizzard Of Oz won a warm listed chase at Wexford in October.

The 5/1 favourite is Myretown, trained by Lucinda Rusell and Michael Scudamore. He has been trained for this race specifically since winning at the Cheltenham Festival last March.

Second favourite at 13/2 is Resplendent Grey, winner of the Sandown Gold Cup for trainer Olly Murphy in April. The seven-year-old is again fitted with the cheekpieces he wore at Sandown, although he did not need them when winning on his reappearance at Carlisle earlier this month.

The in-form Joe Tizzard saddles 9/1 shot The Changing Man, and also fancied is the Sam Thomas-trained Katate Dori (11/1), who was pulled up in the Cheltenham handicap won by Myretown having been a short price.

Cheltenham winner

Another home-trained runner with a big shot is Panic Attack (14/1). Trained by Dan Skelton, this mare won the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham earlier this month. She has just a 4lb penalty for that win but is unproven over the distance of the Newbury race (3m 2f).

Panic Attack's owner Bryan Drew said: “She’s been firing on all cylinders at home and I suppose we’re striking while the iron is hot really.

“She’s a nine-year-old in the form of her life and the trip is a bit of unknown and she’s not quite got home over three miles before, but this is the best she’s ever been by a country mile and we thought we’d have a go.”

Drew is no stranger to seeing his colours carried to success in some of the biggest races, with the likes of Bravemansgame giving him a Christmas to remember when winning the King George in 2022 and Moon Racer and Un Temps Pour Tout providing landmark days at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, Newbury’s feature handicap is one that has so far eluded him, with the midlands-based owner well aware of the task at hand for his Cheltenham heroine.

“She’s got a 4lb penalty for winning the Paddy Power and Tristan Durrell will take 3lb off so effectively she is running off 136 and I think she’s quite well-in.

“It would be an unbelievable achievement and it’s a much hotter race this time with some very good horses in there.

“It’s a much tougher assignment than Cheltenham, I think, and to be honest if she runs a good race and picks up some prize-money that would be good – to win could be a tall order. But we’ll give it a really good go.”

Panic Attack’s Cheltenham success was a seventh career victory in a journey that saw her burst on the scene when bolting up in a Market Rasen Listed bumper for Willie Mullins before spending time with David Pipe and now firmly part of the furniture at Skelton’s Warwickshire base.

It is since arriving at Lodge Hill that she has begun to fulfil the potential that has at times been stunted by setbacks, with Drew finally reaping the rewards of the faith he placed in a young four-year-old with all the hallmarks to make her mark on the big stage.

Drew added: “I bought her after she won the bumper for Willie Mullins at Market Rasen and looked spectacular, but she never really fulfilled what we thought she might achieve.

“To be fair to her she had quite a few niggles and that’s all in the past now. She’s been enjoying her job ever since she has got to Dan’s and has really been in top form.

“We did think we had a really good chance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Dan’s done such a good job with her and she’s absolutely flying at home, enjoying it and most importantly staying in one piece.

“Hopefully we get another season out of her and then she will make a lovely broodmare.”

CORAL GOLD CUP HANDICAP CHASE

Current betting: 5 Myretown, 13/2 Resplendent Grey, 9 The Changing Man, 10 Hyland, 11 Katate Dori, 14 Panic Attack, Victtorino, 16 Blizzard Of Oz, Inch House, Spanish Harlem, 18 The Doyen Chief, 20 Ask Brewster, Gorgeous Tom, 22 Three Card Brag, 25 Lowry's Bar, O'Moore Park, 28 Monty's Star, 33 bar.