Wetherby option for War

Former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition has been handed an entry in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday.

The Irish raider made a pleasing return from injury at Punchestown earlier this month, thrashing another former Gold Cup winner Kicking King by 19 lengths despite an absence of 22 months.

And the nine-year-old could make a swift reappearance in the Grade Two event for which 13 have been entered at the five-day stage.

"It just depends on the state of the ground, that's all," said trainer Mouse Morris. "He wants good ground anyway so as long is it is safe, good ground, he'll travel over.

"He's been in great nick since his last run and it's so far, so good with him. Davy Russell will ride him."

Chief executive Jonjo Sanderson is delighted to have the presence of a former Gold Cup winner among the list of entries and is confident the ground will be suitable.

"It's good to firm, firm in places and we're watering at the moment - but I am being quite pessimistic calling it that.

"We called it firm, good to firm in places at the last meeting and quite a few jockeys told us it was nearer good to firm or good.

"We've had very little rain but I wanted to keep that firm in. However, I think it will better than it was for the last meeting as we had 10mm of rain at the weekend and we have been watering.

"I'm hopeful that at some stage this week I'll be able to drop the firm out of it, I just don't want to be too confident this early in the week.

Ollie Magern is likely to bid for a third Charlie Hall victory, while the second and third behind him last year, State Of Play and Monkerhostin, could also reoppose.

"He's in good form and hopefully he'll put on anther good show," said Ollie Magern's trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.

"He probably will go there. He's been very good over the summer."

Charlie Mann's Air Force One, a Grade One-winning novice last season at Punchestown, Jonjo O'Neill's Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Albertas Run and the Paul Nicholls-trained Turko also add depth to the race.

Howard Johnson could be represented by Hard Act To Follow, Canada Street and Top Dressing, while David Pipe has entered Madison Du Berlais.

Snoopy Loopy and Love That Benny complete the list of possibles.