ANTE-post favourites American and Total Recall feature among 60 entries revealed today for the £250,000 Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury on December 2nd, the race formerly known as the Hennessy.

Run over three and a quarter miles, the Ladbrokes Trophy is the richest handicap chase in Britain apart from the Grand National and is backed for the first time this year by Ladbrokes, who have made a five-year initial commitment.

Lightly-raced chaser American (Harry Fry), the 8/1 joint-favourite with Ladbrokes, had an excellent campaign over fences last season, winning all three of his starts, each at three miles.

The French-bred seven-year-old captured a novices' chase at Exeter in November before enjoying a comfortable victory from Champers On Ice (David Pipe, 33/1 with Ladbrokes) by four and a half lengths in the Listed Hampton Novices' Chase at Warwick in January.

American signed off with an impressive eight-length success under top-weight in a handicap chase at Uttoxeter on March 18th, after which the handicapper awarded him a rating of 157.

Trainer Harry Fry, who is based in Dorset, said: "We have been very happy with American and the Ladbrokes Trophy is very much his target.

"We are looking forward to December 2nd as he looks to have the right sort of profile for the race.

"Second season chasers have a good record in the Ladbrokes Trophy and he was a very good novice who did nothing wrong last season.

"The left-handed, galloping track at Newbury should suit him well and hopefully he gets the soft ground that he enjoys.

"He will have to graft to be ready first time out for a race like this, so he will be going away for a racecourse gallop in the build-up. As things stand, American is right on target."

American is very lightly-raced, having contested just six races, and he has been successful on four occasions, the other victory coming in a novice hurdle at Ascot in November, 2015.

Total Recall (8/1) is one of 17 Irish-trained entries, an increase of nine on last year, and made a perfect first start for Ireland's champion Jump trainer Willie Mullins when bolting up in the valuable Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick on October 8th, in which Alpha Des Obeaux (Mouse Morris IRE, 20/1) finished second.

Mullins has also entered multiple Group 2 scorer Acapella Bourgeois (16/1) who, like Total Recall, joined the stable during the summer having previously been trained by the now-retired Sandra Hughes.

Mullins commented: "It is great that Ladbrokes have generously sponsored the two-day meeting in December at Newbury. There is good prize money on offer and we hope to be in the running for some of it. We have five horses entered in the Ladbrokes Trophy Handicap Chase, including the Ladbrokes Munster National winner Total Recall."

His other entries are Childrens List (33/1), Pleasant Company (33/1) and Polidam (25/1).

Another leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott also has five contenders to choose from, notably G2 National Hunt Chase victor Tiger Roll (25/1) and Thyestes Chase runner-up Mala Beach (25/1), while Noel Meade's three entries include G1 scorer Road To Riches (33/1) and recent Wexford Listed victor A Genie In Abottle (20/1).

Coneygree (14/1), the Cheltenham Gold Cup hero of 2015, could bid to emulate his half-brother Carruthers who won this race in 2011. Mark Bradstock, who trains not far from Newbury at Letcombe Bassett, has also entered Carruthers' full-brother Flintham (40/1), who was beaten a short-head by Bigbadjohn (Rebecca Curtis, 33/1) in Ascot's G2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase in February.

Coneygree has only raced three times since his memorable Cheltenham success as a novice, but looked near his best when a close third behind Sizing John and Djakadam in the G1 Punchestown Gold Cup in April.

Popular grey Smad Place (Alan King, 20/1) took the spoils in 2015 and could bid to become only the fourth dual winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy after making a winning return in the G2 Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase over two and a half miles at Aintree on October 29th.

Lambourn handler Nicky Henderson, Britain's champion Jump trainer and successful three times in the Ladbrokes Trophy since 2005, has four possible starters - G1 RSA Chase runner-up Whisper (12/1), bet365 Gold Cup runner-up Vyta Du Roc (25/1), course scorer Beware The Bear (25/1) and O O Seven (20/1).

Other high-profile entries include Singlefarmpayment (Tom George, 14/1), who made an encouraging comeback when second at Cheltenham last weekend, and Grimthorpe Handicap Chase victor Definitly Red (Brian Ellison, 16/1).

Weights for the Ladbrokes Trophy will be unveiled next Tuesday, November 7th.

Mike Dillon, Director of Public Relations at Ladbrokes, said: "Ladbrokes are delighted and proud that the launch of our sponsorship of this great race is being marked by such an impressive entry of outstanding chasers.

"We are particularly pleased that the field will include formidable contenders from Ireland as well as a cast of stars from British yards.

"There can be little doubt that the inaugural staging of the Ladbrokes Trophy will live up to the rich traditions of one of the flagship events of the jump season."

The Ladbrokes Trophy

Grade 3 handicap chase, £250,000 total prize fund. Newbury, Saturday, December 2nd. Three miles and two furlongs (three miles one furlong 214 yards). For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after November 5th, a winner of a chase 4lb, a winner of two chases 7lb - no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries closed October 31st, entries revealed November 1st (60 entries). Weights revealed November 7th, scratchings deadline November 14th, five-day confirmation stage November 27th, final declarations November 30th. Maximum field 24, plus two reserves.

Horse Age Owner Trainer

A GENIE IN ABOTTLE (IRE) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE

ACAPELLA BOURGEOIS (FR) 7 Slaneyville Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

ALPHA DES OBEAUX (FR) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE

AMERICAN (FR) 7 The Jago Family Partnership Harry Fry

ANTONY (FR) 7 The Winning Hand Gary Moore

AS DE MEE (FR) 7 The Stewart Family & Judi Dench Paul Nicholls

BEWARE THE BEAR (IRE) 7 G B Barlow Nicky Henderson

BIGBADJOHN (IRE) 8 Nigel Morris Rebecca Curtis

BRAQUEUR D'OR (FR) 6 Corsellis & Seyfried Paul Nicholls

CAROLE'S DESTRIER (GB) 9 Mrs C Skipworth Neil Mulholland

CHAMPERS ON ICE (IRE) 7 Professor Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew David Pipe

CHILDRENS LIST (IRE) 7 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE

COGRY (GB) 8 Graham and Alison Jelley Nigel Twiston-Davies

CONEYGREE (GB) 10 The Max Partnership Mark Bradstock

DARK FLAME (IRE) 8 The Encore Partnership III Richard Rowe

DEFINITLY RED (IRE) 8 Mr P J Martin Brian Ellison

DOUBLE ROSS (IRE) 11 Options O Syndicate Nigel Twiston-Davies

DOUBLE TREASURE (GB) 6 Sir Chips Keswick Jamie Snowden

EMERGING FORCE (IRE) 7 Webb Holt Carpenter Tucker Harry Whittington

FLINTHAM (GB) 8 The Rasher Partnership Mark Bradstock

GENERAL PRINCIPLE (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

KILCARRY BRIDGE (IRE) 10 Darraugh's Choice Syndicate John Ryan IRE

LABEL DES OBEAUX (FR) 6 David Sewell & Terry Warner Alan King

LORD SCOUNDREL (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

MALA BEACH (IRE) 9 C Jones Gordon Elliott IRE

MISSED APPROACH (IRE) 7 Alan & Andrew Turner Warren Greatrex

O O SEVEN (IRE) 7 Christopher Hanbury Nicky Henderson

OUR KAEMPFER (IRE) 8 Swanee River Partnership Charlie Longsdon

PERFECT CANDIDATE (IRE) 10 ISL Recruitment Fergal O'Brien

PILGRIMS BAY (IRE) 7 Clifford, Gosden & House Neil Mulholland

PLEASANT COMPANY (IRE) 9 Malcolm Denmark Willie Mullins IRE

POLIDAM (FR) 8 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede Willie Mullins IRE

POTTERS LEGEND (GB) 7 Mrs J May Lucy Wadham

PRESENT MAN (IRE) 7 Woodhouse & Sutton Paul Nicholls

PTIT ZIG (FR) 8 Barry Fulton & Chris Giles Paul Nicholls

REGAL ENCORE (IRE) 9 J P McManus Anthony Honeyball

ROAD TO RICHES (IRE) 10 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE

ROGUE ANGEL (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE

ROI DES FRANCS (FR) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

ROYAL VACATION (IRE) 7 Mrs Jean R Bishop Colin Tizzard

SHANTOU FLYER (IRE) 7 Carl Hinchy Richard Hobson

SINGLEFARMPAYMENT (GB) 7 N T Griffith & H M Haddock Tom George

SIZING CODELCO (IRE) 8 Ann & Alan Potts Limited Colin Tizzard

SMAD PLACE (FR) 10 Mrs Peter Andrews Alan King

SOUTHFIELD ROYALE (GB) 7 Angela Yeoman Neil Mulholland

THEATRE GUIDE (IRE) 10 Jean Bishop Colin Tizzard

THUNDER AND ROSES (IRE) 9 Gigginstown House Stud Mouse Morris IRE

TIGER ROLL (IRE) 7 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE

TOTAL RECALL (IRE) 8 Slaneyville Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE

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

VALUE AT RISK (GB) 8 D M Huglin Dan Skelton

VIC DE TOUZAINE (FR) 8 A Brooks & G Moore Venetia Williams

VICENTE (FR) 8 Trevor Hemmings Paul Nicholls

VIEUX LION ROUGE (FR) 8 Prof Caroline Tisdall & Mr John Gent David Pipe

VINO GRIEGO (FR) 12 C E Stedman Gary Moore

VIRGILIO (FR) 8 C J Edwards, D Futter, A H Rushworth Dan Skelton

VYTA DU ROC (FR) 8 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson

WHISPER (FR) 9 Walters Plant Hire Ltd Nicky Henderson

WOUNDED WARRIOR (IRE) 8 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE

YALA ENKI (FR) 7 Hills of Ledbury (Aga) Venetia Williams

60 entries

17 Irish-trained

Ladbrokes bet: 8/1 American, Total Recall; 12/1 Whisper; 14/1 Coneygree, Singlefarmpayment; 16/1 Acapella Bourgeois, Definitly Red; 20/1 A Genie In Abottle, Alpha Des Obeaux, O O Seven, Smad Place, Yala Enki; 25/1 Beware The Bear, Emerging Force, Mala Beach, Missed Approach, Polidam, Southfield Royale, Tiger Roll, Virgilio, Vyta Du Roc.