WEDNESDAY, November 1st, 2017 - Group 1 winner Kylemore Lough and progressive second-season chaser Romain De Senam headline 45 entries for this year's BetVictor Gold Cup, the £160,000 highlight of the November meeting at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 18th.

They are 10/1 joint-favourites with BetVictor for the extended two and a half-mile handicap chase, with Kylemore Lough having joined trainer Harry Fry in the summer after winning the Group 1 Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse in April, 2016.

Kylemore Lough finished fifth on both his appearances at Cheltenham last season, including in the G3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Handicap Chase at The International in December, and came home fourth on his latest appearance in the G1 JLT Melling Chase at Aintree in April.

Dorset-based Fry reported: "Kylemore Lough is very well and will head straight to the BetVictor Gold Cup, all being well.

"There are still two and a half weeks to go, but we are happy with his progress and looking forward to the race."

Romain De Senam, beaten a head in the G3 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at The Festival in 2016, has enjoyed a fine start to his second campaign over fences, winning handicap chases at Chepstow and Stratford in October.

The five-year-old features among nine contenders from the stable of Paul Nicholls and the Somerset handler could also be represented by Le Prezien (14/1), who went down by a neck to Foxtail Hill (20/1, Nigel Twiston-Davies) in the Randox Health Handicap Chase at The Showcase on October 28th.

G1 JLT Novices' Chase fourth Politologue (25/1), last season's G3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup winner Frodon (33/1) and San Benedeto (16/1), successful in the G1 Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, also feature among a strong team from Nicholls, who has won the BetVictor Gold Cup with Al Ferof (2012) and Caid Du Berlais (2014).

Gold Present (16/1) one of three entries from champion Jump trainer Nicky Henderson, was second in the Listed Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase in March, while Double Treasure (16/1, Jamie Snowden) won the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices' Chase at The Showcase on October 28th.

Cloudy Dream (14/1, Malcolm Jefferson) found only Altior six lengths too strong in the G1 Racing Post Arkle Novices' Chase at The Festival in March. The Trevor Hemmings-owned seven-year-old made a pleasing return to action when chasing home Smad Place in the G2 188Bet Monet's Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase at Aintree on October 29th.

Irish-trained horses have won the BetVictor Gold Cup five times, most recently thanks to Tranquil Sea in 2009, and the seven contenders for this year's race include Tully East (20/1) who beat Gold Present in the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase, run over the same course and distance as the BetVictor Gold Cup, at The Festival 2017.

The seven-year-old, trained in Co Kildare by Alan Fleming, was pulled up in a valuable handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival in April and returned to action at the same course on October 18th, coming home fourth in a rated hurdle.

Fleming revealed: "The BetVictor Gold Cup is very much the aim for Tully East.

"He was a little rusty for his reappearance over hurdles at Punchestown earlier this month, but he finished off his race really good and we were very happy with him.

"He came home happy after that run and we will give him a good school over fences before going to Cheltenham.

"It was a fantastic win at Cheltenham last season. We were disappointed when he ran next time at Punchestown. I don't know exactly what happened that day - he either dropped his hind leg into a fence or jumped into a fence.

"The horse did well over the summer and came back in happy. He ran with plenty of life the other day."

Other Irish-trained entries include Ballycasey (20/1, Willie Mullins), a Group 1 winner over fences, plus Group 2 Gowran Park Champion Chase scorer A Toi Phil (14/1) and Group 1 Punchestown chase third Ball D'Arc (20/1), who are both trained by Gordon Elliott.

Charlie McCann, Head of PR & Communications at BetVictor, said: "We are delighted with the quantity and quality of entries for the second BetVictor Gold Cup with many of the leading yards on both sides of the Irish Sea represented.

"It promises to be a vintage renewal of this valuable and iconic handicap and we bet 10/1 the field."

Weights for the BetVictor Gold Cup, which has a maximum field of 20, are unveiled on Wednesday, November 8th.

The BetVictor Gold Cup

Grade 3 handicap chase, £160,000 total prize fund. Cheltenham, Saturday, November 18th. Two miles, four and a half furlongs (2m 4f 78y). For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after November 5th, a winner of a chase 5lb. Entries closed October 31st, entries revealed November 1st (45 entries). Weights revealed November 8th. Five-day confirmation stage November 13th, final declarations November 16th. Maximum field size 20 runners plus 2 reserves.

Horse Age Owner Trainer

A TOI PHIL (FR) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

AQUA DUDE (IRE) 7 William & Angela Rucker Evan Williams

ART MAURESQUE (FR) 7 Mrs Johnny de la Hey Paul Nicholls

ASO (FR) 7 7 The Bellamy Partnership Venetia Williams

BALL D'ARC (FR) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

BALLOTIN (FR) 6 David Maxwell Racing Limited Philip Hobbs

BALLYALTON (IRE) 10 John Westwood Ian Williams

BALLYBOLLEY (IRE) 8 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nigel Twiston-Davies

BALLYCASEY (IRE) 10 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE

BELAMI DES PICTONS (FR) 6 Hills of Ledbury (Aga) Venetia Williams

BENTELIMAR (IRE) 8 Swanee River Partnership Charlie Longsdon

BOUVREUIL (FR) 6 J P McManus Paul Nicholls

CLAN DES OBEAUX (FR) 5 Mr & Mrs P Barber, G Mason, Sir A Ferguson Paul Nicholls

CLOUDY DREAM (IRE) 7 Trevor Hemmings Malcolm Jefferson

DANDRIDGE 8 Ronnie Bartlett Arthur Moore IRE

DAYS OF HEAVEN (FR) 7 Mrs S K Johnston Nicky Henderson

DOUBLE TREASURE 6 Sir Chips Keswick Jamie Snowden

FOXTAIL HILL (IRE) 8 Options O Syndicate Nigel Twiston-Davies

FRODON (FR) 5 P J Vogt Paul Nicholls

GARDE LA VICTOIRE (FR) 8 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs

GO CONQUER (IRE) 8 Paul & Clare Rooney Jonjo O'Neill

GOLD PRESENT (IRE) 7 John & Barbara Cotton Nicky Henderson

GUITAR PETE (IRE) 7 Mrs Pat Sloan Nicky Richards

KYLECRUE (IRE) 10 John Patrick Ryan John Ryan IRE

KYLEMORE LOUGH 8 M J McMahon & Denis Gallagher Harry Fry

LAKE TAKAPUNA (IRE) 6 Dr Ronan Lambe Jim Culloty IRE

LE PREZIEN (FR) 6 J P McManus Paul Nicholls

MASTER DEE (IRE) 8 Paul & Clare Rooney Fergal O'Brien

MINELLA PRESENT (IRE) 8 Jane Gerard-Pearse Neil Mulholland

MYSTIFIABLE 9 Graham and Alison Jelley Fergal O'Brien

PLAISIR D'AMOUR (FR) 5 Calvados Racing Venetia Williams

POLITOLOGUE (FR) 6 J Hales Paul Nicholls

QUITE BY CHANCE 8 T Hamlin, J M Dare, J W Snook, J T Warner Colin Tizzard

ROMAIN DE SENAM (FR) 5 Chris Giles & Dan Macdonald Paul Nicholls

SAMETEGAL (FR) 8 John & Barbara Cotton Paul Nicholls

SAN BENEDETO (FR) 6 P J Vogt Paul Nicholls

SPLASH OF GINGE 9 J D Neild Nigel Twiston-Davies

STARCHITECT (IRE) 6 Paul & Clare Rooney David Pipe

THEINVAL (FR) 7 Mr & Mrs Sandy Orr Nicky Henderson

TOP GAMBLE (IRE) 9 Walters Plant Hire & James & Jean Potter Kerry Lee

TRAFFIC FLUIDE (FR) 7 Galloping On The South Downs Partnership Gary Moore

TULLY EAST (IRE) 7 Barry Connell Alan Fleming IRE

VICONTE DU NOYER (FR) 8 Ann & Alan Potts Limited Colin Tizzard

WAITING PATIENTLY (IRE) 6 Richard Collins Malcolm Jefferson

ZAMDY MAN 8 J P McManus Venetia Williams

45 entries

7 Irish-trained

BetVictor Gold Cup - BetVictor bet:

10/1 Kylemore Lough

10/1 Romain de Senam

14/1 A Toi Phil

14/1 Cloudy Dream

14/1 Le Prezien

16/1 Art Mauresque

16/1 Double Treasure

16/1 Gold Present

16/1 San Benedeto

20/1 Ball d'Arc

20/1 Ballybolley

20/1 Ballycasey

20/1 Belami Des Pictons

20/1 Days Of Heaven

20/1 Foxtail Hill

20/1 Garde La Victoire

20/1 Sametagal

20/1 Top Gamble

20/1 Tully East

20/1 Viconte De Noyer

25/1 Ballotin

25/1 Ballyalton

25/1 Clan Des Obeaux

25/1 Go Conquer

25/1 Plaisir D'amour

25/1 Politilogue

25/1 Starchitect

25/1 Theinval

25/1 Traffic Fluide

25/1 Waiting Patiently

33/1 Aqua Dude

33/1 Aso

33/1 Bentelimar

33/1 Bouvreuil

33/1 Dandridge

33/1 Frodon

33/1 Kylecrue

33/1 Lake Takapuna

33/1 Master Dee

33/1 Minella Present

33/1 Quite By Chance

33/1 Splash Of Ginge

33/1 Zamdy Man

40/1 Guitar Pete

40/1 Mystifiable

1/4 the odds, 1-2-3-4

Entries for the other Group 3 highlight at The November Meeting, the £100,000 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle staged on Sunday, November 19th, will be revealed tomorrow, Thursday, November 2nd.