The resurgence of the Yukon Quest resumed on Friday with the registration of another top musher.

Hugh Neff, 47, became the 26th musher to sign up for the 1,600-km international sled dog race, stopping in at the Yukon Quest office in Whitehorse just after 5 p.m.

The 2015 odyssey will be the 15th time the musher from Tok, Alaska, has attempts the trek between Whitehorse and Fairbanks.

Neff won the 2012 race in a photo finish and finished as runner-up to Allen Moore in the past two races.

In his long mushing career, Neff has finished in the top three of the Yukon Quest six times.

Neff could not be reached by the Star for this story.

His entry into the race makes the competitive mushing field that more intriguing this year, with defending champion Moore and four-time Iditarod winner Jeff King also registered for the 2015 race.

Perennial top-five finisher Brent Sass and 2014 rookie of the year Matt Hall are also slated to hit the trail to Fairbanks in 2015.

One year after a historically low number of 18 mushers hit the start line in Fairbanks, a total of 26 – including nine Canadians – have registered for the 32nd annual race.

“We’re just delighted,” said Laurie Parris, the race’s executive director for the Yukon.

“We’re seeing so many of our stars coming back this year.”

Neff finished the 2014 race in eight days, 23 hours and seven minutes, crossing the finish line with eight dogs.

“I love the Quest,” he said at the time. “I do a lot of races every year and the Quest is my favourite.”

Neff took home about $16,000 US for his second place finish.

The race purse for the upcoming race is $127,000 US. The 2015 race will begin Feb. 7 in Whitehorse.