Advocat continues to attract money for Saturday's Ladbroke Hurdle at Leopardstown, for which 32 horses stood their ground at yesterday's acceptance stage.

Coral have shortened Advocat to 7 to 1 from 9 to 1 and Noel Meade's long-time favourite is also on that price with Ladbrokes, the Tote and William Hill. Victor Chandler is at 6 to 1.

Impulsive Dream was trimmed to 11 to 1 from 12 to 1 by Coral while they have eased Polar Prospect out to 14 to 1 from 12 to 1 after he was left as the surprise top-weight following a mass defection at the head of the field.

Each of the top 11 horses in the original handicap were withdrawn at the five-day stage, leaving the Philip Hobbs-trained, William Hill Handicap Hurdle winner - originally handed 10st 11lb - to head affairs on 11st 12lb.

Five British horses were left in the £75,000 event, including Polar Prospect's stable-companion Sadler's Realm and Decoupage - whom Charlie Egerton had described as an unlikely runner due to the testing conditions.

Others from Britain declared were Steve Golling's New Inn and Mary Reveley's Once More For Luck.

Mrs Reveley is now having second thoughts about running Once More For Luck following the 15lb rise in the weights caused by the withdrawals.

"We were going to run him because we thought 10st 2lb was a nice racing weight," she said. "The big field and fast pace would suit him but now he has gone up to 11st 3lb we will have to think again."

However, the rise favours recent ante-post gamble Slaney Native, who has been brought into the handicap proper on 10st 4lb.

The latter, whose trainer Jessica Harrington won the race with Dance Beat three years ago, was slashed in price from 33 to 1 into 14 to 1 by the sponsors yesterday.

Mrs Harrington forecast Slaney Native to have "a big chance" of giving her a second win in the race after his third behind Joe Mac and Colonel Yeager at Leopardstown over Christmas.

"If there is a fast-run race on Saturday and Slaney Native is up with the pace then he could bring me my second Ladbroke. I am very hopeful," she said.

The Ladbroke will be run on fresh ground revealed Tom Burke, racecourse manager at Leopardstown. He said: "All the hurdle races on Saturday will be run on new ground.

"The going is heavy at the moment and based on the forecast it will be no different on Saturday.

"We're OK at the moment but fingers crossed there is no deterioration in the weather because it looks a wide-open race on Saturday."