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Sixteen horses have been entered for the valuable Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick on Saturday, although the course faces a stiff task to be raceable as things stand.
Impressive London National hero Mr Vango currently heads the ante-post market at 11/4 following his reappearance success in the three miles four-and-a-half-furlong contest at Sandown last month.
The Sara Bradstock-trained nine-year-old could face last year's winner My Silver Lining. Emma Lavelle's galloping grey finished third in a competitive handicap chase behind the progressive Lady Balko, who also holds an entry for David Pipe as she bids to stretch her winning run to four.
Grade 1-winning hurdler Apple Away could step up in trip and revert to handicap company following her second-place finish in a Listed Mares' Chase at Market Rasen last time, while the Gordon Elliott-trained Duffle Coat and Shannon Royale are possibilities to make the journey from Ireland.
Elsewhere on the card, Handstands is being readied for a crack at the Grade 2 Trustatrader Hampton Court Novices' Chase. A comfortable winner of the Esher Novices' Chase at Sandown last time, Ben Pauling's six-year-old could face a maximum of eight rivals including the Darren Yates-owned Cherie d'Am, who produced a solid round of jumping en-route to landing a Listed Mares' Novices' Chase over two and a half miles at the Midlands venue in December.
Entries might look positive for Warwick's feature meeting of the season on Saturday, but the track is currently unraceable with the official going described as 'Heavy, soft (in places) – currently flooded in areas).
Clerk of the course, Nessie Chanter, told the PA: "The brook has burst its banks following 30mm of rain, so the back straight and the first half of the home straight is underwater.
"Normally, that can retract quite quickly, and we'll do all we can to help the drainage. That is one challenge, the next is the forecast, which looks like it is going to be below zero from tomorrow night onwards, as low as minus two and minus three.
"We are going to give it every chance, but we are facing a lot of challenges at the moment."