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Trainer Dan Skelton is hoping "lightning can strike twice" when he saddles Shelford in The Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday week.

The Alcester handler sent out Willow's Saviour to scoop the valuable prize last December and is looking forward to running Shelford in the two-mile handicap hurdle this time round.

Shelford has been allotted 10st 4lb in the weights revealed on Wednesday and Skelton admitted this race had been the target since the five-year-old lifted the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow in late October.

"This has always been the plan. I want it to rain as much as possible," said Skelton.

"It would be great to win the race again. Let's hope lightning strikes twice."

Zamdy Man heads the weights on 11st 12lb, while the Philip Hobbs-trained Greatwood Hurdle winner Garde La Victoire is next in the handicap on 11st 9lb.

Ante-post favourite Sign Of A Victory, who took the William Hill Handicap Hurdle over the course and distance in early November, is on 11st 6lb.

His trainer Nicky Henderson also has Vyta Du Roc (11st 3lb), Dawalan (10st 9lb), Lyvius (10st 9lb), Cool Macavity (10st 3lb) and Snake Eyes (9st 12lb) as he looks for a fourth win in a race that was inaugurated in 2001.

Clondaw Warrior (9st 11lb), trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins, is high in the ante-post market.

Other possibles from the Emerald Isle are Noel Meade's Waxies Dargle (10st 9lb), Gordon Elliott's pair of Bayan (11st 2lb) and Shadow Catcher (10st 7lb), Tony Martin's Pyromaniac (10st 4lb) and Sea Beat (9st 7lb) from Arthur Moore's stable.