Grand National favourite Inothewayurthinkin has been added as a supplementary entry for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
The seven-year-old, trained by Gavin Cromwell for owner JP McManus, will bid to deny Galopin Des Champs a hat-trick in the race.
Fact To File and L’Homme Presse have been withdrawn, along with Conflated, Grangeclere West, Grey Dawning and Hewick.
That leaves 10 potential contenders for the Gold Cup, with the McManus-owned Fact To File set to run in Thursday’s shorter Ryanair Chase.
Meanwhile at Sandown, Go Dante became the first back-to-back winner of the Imperial Cup for more than 70 years.
L’Homme Presse’s absence from the Gold Cup leaves his Venetia Williams’ stablemate Royale Pagaille and The Real Whacker, for Patrick Neville, as the only British-trained runners, with the remainder from Ireland.
Inowthewayurthinkin won the Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham last year before a Grade One victory at Aintree.
He was fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup last month and has been added to the English showpiece, which has a first prize of £350,000, at the cost of £25,000.
Inowthewayurthinkin is rated about a 7-1 chance by bookmakers for the Gold Cup, for which the 2023 and 2024 winner Galopin Des Champs is the 1-2 favourite.
Galopin Des Champs is bidding to become the first triple winner since Best Mate in 2004 and only the second after Arkle in the 1960s.
Other hopefuls include King George VI Chase winner Banbridge and another McManus entry, Corbetts Cross.
Inothewayurthinkin is about a 7-1 favourite for the Grand National at Aintree on 5 April – 22 days after the Gold Cup.
Only one horse – Golden Miller in 1934 – has won both races in the same season.
Cheltenham Gold Cup entries: Ahoy Senor, Banbridge, Corbetts Cross, Galopin Des Champs, Gentlemansgame, Inothewayurthinkin, Jungle Boogie, Monty’s Star, Royale Pagaille, The Real Whacker.
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