Monkerhostin to head straight to Cheltenham
Trainer Philip Hobbs confirmed the prospect of soft ground at the Surrey venue had led to the nine-year-old side-stepping the Grade One event.
However, the Minehead handler will still be represented at the Surrey venue by Supreme Prince in a race which has attracted a strong field of seven runners.
Unicoin Homes Chase winner Fondmort heads the list of hopefuls in company with the Nigel Twiston Davies-trained Fundamentalist.
Martin Pipe is responsible for It Takes Time and Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Our Vic, who will be making his first appearance since he was pulled up in the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup at Cheltenham in early December.
Paul Nicholls' My Will and last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Take The Stand are also poised to take their chance in the two-and-a-half-mile event.
