The weights are unveiled today for the £250,000 G3 Ladbrokes Trophy, the highly-prestigious three and a quarter mile handicap chase which takes place at Newbury on Saturday, December 1, day two of the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival.

Terrefort (Nicky Henderson), the 8/1 market leader with Ladbrokes, has been allotted 11st 5lb after winning G1 novices’ chases at Sandown Park and Aintree last season.

The progressive grey chaser was successful on his one previous start in handicap company in the UK when taking a novices’ handicap chase at Huntingdon in January and, if successful on December 1, would be the first five-year-old to win the Ladbrokes Trophy. He is set to reappear at Sandown Park this Sunday, November 11.

Henderson, the champion jump trainer based just north of Lambourn, is seeking a fourth Ladbrokes Trophy success and could also run Vyta Du Roc (10st 8lb, 16/1), Janika (10st 6lb, 20/1), Beware The Bear (10st 9lb, 33/1).

Joint 10/1 second favourites with Ladbrokes for the Ladbrokes Trophy are Elegant Escape (Colin Tizzard, 10st 12lb), who ran well when third in G1 novices’ chases at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals, and Irish-trained Snow Falcon (Noel Meade, 11st 5lb), who already has two big wins on the board this season, having taken the Kerry National at Listowel in September and a G2 chase at Down Royal on November 3.

Elegant Escape’s trainer Colin Tizzard could also be represented by the 2016 G1 King George VI Chase winner and top-weight Thistlecrack (11st 12lb, 16/1), Sizing Tennessee (10st 9lb, 25/1), The Dutchman (10st 8lb, 33/1) and Thistlecrack’s half-brother West Approach (10st 3lb, 20/1). Tizzard, whose stables are on the Dorset/Devon border, is after a second Ladbrokes Trophy success following on from Native River (2016), the subsequent G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.

Alan King saddled the popular grey Smad Place to a famous victory in the 2015 Ladbrokes Trophy and has two entries this year, headed by Dingo Dollar (10st 9lb, 25/1). The six-year-old improved last season, with his two successes over fences including an impressive 15-length victory in a novices’ handicap chase at Newbury in December, when he had subsequent Scottish Grand National winner Joe Farrell back in third.

Wiltshire-based King said: “Dingo Dollar is in in good form at home and we are looking to head for the Ladbrokes Trophy.

“We would like to get one run in beforehand and he is declared to run at Newbury tomorrow (Thursday, November 8) over hurdles before the Ladbrokes Trophy.

“He is a nice horse who doesn’t want the ground to be too soft and I think he could be a Scottish National horse in the long-term.”

Another trainer to have already landed the Ladbrokes Trophy is David Pipe, who saddled Madison Du Berlais to a 25/1 success in 2008.

The Nicholashayne handler is considering this year’s Ladbrokes Trophy for Un Temps Pour Tout (11st 5lbm 16/1). The nine-year-old landed back-to-back successes in the G3 Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but has not been seen out since his second victory in that contest in March, 2017.

Pipe revealed: “Un Temps Pour Tout is back and we are looking forward to this season with him.

“He missed last year through injury and we are hoping to have a full season with him this time around.

“He will be entered in the Grand National as his long term target and other long-distance chases will be on his agenda.

“He is entered in the Ladbrokes Trophy and the race is a possibility at the moment.”

There are 12 Irish-trained contenders in total for the 2018 Ladbrokes Trophy. In addition to Snow Falcon, the Irish-trained contenders are headed by last year’s winner Total Recall (11st 3lb, 16/1), one of eight entries for Ireland’s champion jump trainer Willie Mullins, including leading hopes Al Boum Photo (11st 6lb, 12/1), Isleofhopendreams (10st 5lb, 14/1), Up For Review (10st 7lb, 14/1) and Kemboy (11st 4lb, 16/1).

Somerset-based Paul Nicholls has saddled the winner of the Ladbrokes Trophy three times, headed by the great Denman in 2007 and 2009.

The 10-time champion jump trainer has six entries this year including Black Corton (11st 4lb, 33/1), who was second on his eventful seasonal reappearance in the G2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 3, when his rider Bryony Frost made an amazing recovery to stay in the saddle after a mistake.

Nicholls reported: “Black Corton ran well behind Definitly Red in the Charlie Hall Chase. The winner was rated 11lb higher, so our horse ran a really good, solid race.

“I would have preferred to be upsides turning in rather than two lengths behind, but I supposed he got a bit out of rhythm, but it was a good sit by Bryony.

“The Wetherby race was a step up in class to what he was running in last year and he ran well.

“Black Corton (won eight last races season) won’t find it as easy as last season as it is a bit of a different ball game – he was able to boss around horses that he was better than.

“We will look at something like the Ladbrokes Trophy with him.”

There is a scratchings deadline for the £250,000 Ladbrokes Trophy on Tuesday, November 13, details of which will be revealed that afternoon.

Ladbrokes Trophy, Ladbrokes bet:

8/1 Terrefort

10/1 Elegant Escape, Snow Falcon

12/1 Al Boum Photo

14/1 Isleofhopendreams, Up For Review, Mister Whitaker

16/1 Calett Mad, Don Poli, Kemboy, Last Goodbye, Pairofbrowneyes, Rene’s Girl, The Young Master, Thomas Patrick, Thistlecrack, Total Recall, Un Temps Pour Tout, Vyta du Roc, Willoughby Court

20/1 Janika, Ms Parfois, Virgilio, West Approach, Yala Enki

25/1 Allysson Monterg, American, Ballyoptic, Braqueur d’Or, Clan des Obeaux,

Coo Star Sivola, Dingo Dollar, Final Nudge, Full Irish, Go Conquer, Invitation Only, Javert,

Otago Trail, Rathvinden, Sizing Tennessee, Solighoster, Splash Of Ginge, Step Back

33/1 Adrien du Pont, Beware The Bear, Black Corton, El Bandit, Flying Angel, Label des Obeaux,

Monbeg Notorious, One For Arthur, The Dutchman

40/1 Rocklander

50/1 Present Man, Regal Encore, Rock The Kasbah

The Ladbrokes Trophy

Grade 3 handicap chase, £250,000 total prize fund. Newbury, Saturday, December 1. Three miles and two furlongs (3m 1f 214y). For four-year-olds and upwards. Penalties: after November 4, 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 30, entries revealed October 31 (56 entries, 1 subsequently scratched). Weights revealed November 7, scratchings deadline November 13, five-day confirmation stage November 26, final declarations November 29. Maximum field 24, plus 2 reserves.

Horse	Age	Wgt	Owner	Trainer
THISTLECRACK	10	11-12	John and Heather Snook	Colin Tizzard
DON POLI (IRE)	9	11-07	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
AL BOUM PHOTO (FR)	6	11-06	Mrs J Donnelly	Willie Mullins IRE
TERREFORT (FR)	5	11-05	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
SNOW FALCON (IRE)	8	11-05	Patricia Hunt	Noel Meade IRE
UN TEMPS POUR TOUT (IRE)	9	11-05	Professor Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew	David Pipe
VIRGILIO (FR)	9	11-04	C J Edwards, D Futter, A H Rushworth	Dan Skelton
BLACK CORTON (FR)	7	11-04	The Brooks, Stewart Families & J Kyle	Paul Nicholls
CLAN DES OBEAUX (FR)	6	11-04	Mr & Mrs P Barber, G Mason, Sir A Ferguson	Paul Nicholls
KEMBOY (FR)	6	11-04	Supreme Racing/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp	Willie Mullins IRE
TOTAL RECALL (IRE)	9	11-03	Slaneyville Syndicate	Willie Mullins IRE
ONE FOR ARTHUR (IRE)	9	11-01	Two Golf Widows	Lucinda Russell
AMERICAN (FR)	8	11-01	The Jago Family Partnership	Harry Fry
RATHVINDEN (IRE)	10	11-01	R A Bartlett	Willie Mullins IRE
REGAL ENCORE (IRE)	10	11-00	J P McManus	Anthony Honeyball
OTAGO TRAIL (IRE)	10	10-13	Mrs Marie Shone	Venetia Williams
MISTER WHITAKER (IRE)	6	10-13	Tim Radford	Mick Channon
INVITATION ONLY (IRE)	7	10-13	Andrea & Graham Wylie	Willie Mullins IRE
MONBEG NOTORIOUS (IRE)	7	10-12	Gigginstown House Stud	Gordon Elliott IRE
WILLOUGHBY COURT (IRE)	7	10-12	Paul & Clare Rooney	Ben Pauling
ELEGANT ESCAPE (IRE)	6	10-12	J P Romans	Colin Tizzard
JAVERT (IRE)	9	10-11	Axom LII	Emma Lavelle
YALA ENKI (FR)	8	10-11	Hills of Ledbury (Aga)	Venetia Williams
COO STAR SIVOLA (FR)	6	10-10	Babbit Racing	Nick Williams
STEP BACK (IRE)	8	10-10	Cracker and Smodge Partnership	Mark Bradstock
DINGO DOLLAR (IRE)	6	10-09	M Warren J Holmes R Kidner & J Wright	Alan King
THE DUTCHMAN (IRE)	8	10-09	SprayClad UK	Colin Tizzard
THOMAS PATRICK (IRE)	6	10-09	David Kellett	Tom Lacey
SIZING TENNESSEE (IRE)	10	10-09	Ann & Alan Potts Limited	Colin Tizzard
BEWARE THE BEAR (IRE)	8	10-09	G B Barlow	Nicky Henderson
GO CONQUER (IRE)	9	10-08	Paul & Clare Rooney	Nigel Twiston-Davies
PAIROFBROWNEYES (IRE)	9	10-08	Fibbage Syndicate	Willie Mullins IRE
VYTA DU ROC (FR)	9	10-08	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
LAST GOODBYE (IRE)	7	10-08	Last Goodbye Syndicate	Liz Doyle IRE
ROCK THE KASBAH (IRE)	8	10-08	Diana Whateley	Philip Hobbs
LABEL DES OBEAUX (FR)	7	10-07	David Sewell & Terry Warner	Alan King
UP FOR REVIEW (IRE)	9	10-07	Andrea & Graham Wylie	Willie Mullins IRE
MS PARFOIS (IRE)	7	10-07	M R Chapman	Anthony Honeyball
JANIKA (FR)	5	10-06	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
PRESENT MAN (IRE)	8	10-05	Mr & Mrs Mark Woodhouse	Paul Nicholls
ISLEOFHOPENDREAMS	11	10-05	Kilbroney Racing	Willie Mullins IRE
RENE’S GIRL (IRE)	8	10-05	Andy & Sharon Measham	Dan Skelton
ADRIEN DU PONT (FR)	6	10-05	Mrs Johnny de la Hey	Paul Nicholls
ALLYSSON MONTERG (FR)	8	10-05	David Fox	Richard Hobson
ROCKLANDER (IRE)	9	10-03	D O’Donohoe, J Cavanagh, S Nelson	Tom George
FLYING ANGEL (IRE)	7	10-03	R J Rexton	Nigel Twiston-Davies
WEST APPROACH	8	10-03	John and Heather Snook	Colin Tizzard
CALETT MAD (FR)	6	10-02	Simon Munir & Isaac Souede	Nigel Twiston-Davies
SPLASH OF GINGE	10	10-02	J D Neild	Nigel Twiston-Davies
EL BANDIT (IRE)	7	10-00	Barry Fulton, Colm Donlon & Chris Giles	Paul Nicholls
FINAL NUDGE (IRE)	9	9-13	Corbett Stud	David Dennis
FULL IRISH (IRE)	7	9-10	N Mustoe	Emma Lavelle
THE YOUNG MASTER	9	9-10	Mike Burbidge & The Old Masters	Neil Mulholland
BRAQUEUR D’OR (FR)	7	9-08	Corsellis & Seyfried	Paul Nicholls
SOLIGHOSTER (FR)	6	9-08	The Colony Stable LLC & Dajam Ltd	Neil Mulholland

 

55 entries remain (BALLYOPTIC (IRE) scratched)

12 Irish-trained