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Evan Williams faces a race against time as he bids to get Buywise back to Cheltenham in peak condition for the Paddy Power Gold Cup on November 15.

The seven-year-old won four of his five starts over fences last season, suffering his only defeat when fifth behind Present View at the Cheltenham Festival.

He rounded off his campaign with an emphatic victory at Prestbury Park and recently made a winning return over hurdles at Ludlow, but Williams is unsure whether that run will have brought him on sufficiently to have a crack at the prestigious Grade Three handicap.

"I will see how things pan out and Buywise will probably work again next Wednesday. We will see where we go from there," said the Vale of Glamorgan trainer.

"He might need another run beforehand if we go to Cheltenham and so I might be struggling for time. His run last time was badly needed.

"I'd love to go for the Paddy Power and that was the point of running him last week. It sort of backfired on us as he won but didn't have a hard enough race. I thought I was being clever running him over two miles but it just didn't stretch him enough.

"My first and foremost aim is to get him to the Paddy Power Gold Cup - he loves it round Cheltenham and that is where I want to be with him. I just want to hang fire before fully committing him."

Williams also has King Massini in contention, and a lso among 45 initial entries for the race is Hunt Ball, now in training with Nicky Henderson following an unsuccessful spell in America.

Stephen Price, of his owners Atlantic Equine, said: "He's going to get an entry in the Paddy Power, which obviously makes sense. But if it looks stacked against him with a big weight, we might also look at hurdles.

"He's a maiden over hurdles, which seems criminal."

Last year's Paddy Power winner Johns Spirit looks likely to defend his crown following his course victory earlier this month, while Oscar Whisky, Present View and Ballynagour are other notable contenders.

There are seven Irish-trained entries, with champion trainer Willie Mullins responsible for four. The County Carlow maestro could run dual Festival winner Champagne Fever, Ballycasey, Felix Yonger and The Paparrazi Kid.