Nick Williams relies on Le Rocher, his sole remaining JCB Triumph Hurdle entry
Nick Williams' Le Rocher is his sole entry in the JCB Triumph Hurdle with 45 remaining at the latest forfeit stage.
Last Updated: 19/02/14 12:07pm
Stablemate Fox Norton, a Grade 2 winner at Doncaster from subsequent Musselburgh victor Broughton, was one of 20 horses scratched from the race on Wednesday.
Impressive Trials Day winner Le Rocher is among the 45 along with Broughton, while other well-fancied entries such as Calipto, Guitar Pete and Pearl Castle stand their ground.
Dessie Hughes' Guitar Pete heads 18 Irish-trained entries, with Gigginstown Stud responsible for four of them; the Gordon Elliott-trained trio Clarcam, Halling's Treasure and Tiger Roll, and Noel Meade's Powder Hound.
Willie Mullins has six entries headed by Susannah Ricci's Adriana Des Mottes and Andrea and Graham Wylie's Ivan Grozny.
Aidan O'Brien's Plinth also remains in the entries despite being beaten, along with Ivan Grozny, by Guitar Pete at Leopardstown.
The Brock Again, trained by Yannick Fouin, is the one entry from France.
Along with Calipto, Paul Nicholls has Alcala - an intended starter at Kempton this weekend - for the Wylies, Nicky Henderson has Kentucky Hyden and Royal Irish Hussar (Fred Winter hopeful Dawalan scratched), David Pipe has Azza and Jonjo O'Neill has Goodwood Mirage.
John Quinn has four entries - Pearl Castle, Aurore d'Estruval, Forced Family Fun and the unbeaten Rutherglen.
Harry Fry's Activial, second to Calipto on debut at Newbury, is in there, along with the Alan King-trained pair of Chocola and Duroble Man.
There are five horses yet to make their hurdling debuts in the contest: Agreement, Amoruccio, Cherry Tiger, Streak and Sunblazer.
Le Rocher heads the betting with Sky Bet at 6/1, ahead of Calipto (7/1) and Guitar Pete (9/1).