Long Run heads Betfair entrants

King George and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run is the headline act among eight remaining entries for a star-studded Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old bounced back from being beaten in last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup to win the two most prestigious steeplechases in the National Hunt calendar.

The David Pipe-trained Grands Crus, impressive winner at Cheltenham on Friday, has been taken out, but Kauto Star remains on course to go head to head with Long Run.

Paul Nicholls’ racing legend went nicely in a racecourse gallop at Exeter recently to delay any retirement talk.

Diamond Harry won the Hennessy Gold Cup last season but has not been seen since.

Trained in Devon by Nick Williams, the eight-year-old is notoriously fragile, and was forced to miss his intended seasonal reappearance, in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, at the 11th hour.

The first two home at Wetherby, Weird Al and Time For Rupert, are due to lock horns again, while Tom George will be hoping for good ground for Nacarat.

Peter Bowen has left in Pure Faith, who ran so well behind Albertas Run in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

The sole Irish raider is the Robbie Hennessy-trained Rubi Light, who was in the process of giving Sizing Europe a sound beating before falling at the last at Gowran. He was remounted to finish third.