Entries for the 10 handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival have been revealed and the contests all look to feature large and high-class fields.
There are 84 entered in the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase, run on Tuesday 11 March, including a string of high-class performers such as Celestial Gold, Ollie Magern, Miko De Beauchene, Simon and John Smith's Grand National market leader Mr Pointment.
There are 41 entries for the BGC Handicap Chase run over Cheltenham's unique cross-country course of which 11 are trained in Ireland. These include three trained by cross-country ace Enda Bolger, Garde Champetre, Heads Onthe Ground and Freneys Well.
Many of the best four-year-olds around are among the 85 Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle entries, among them Five Dream, Songe, Ashkazar, Harper Valley and Squadron.
There are 140 entered in the Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) on Wednesday 12 March , including leading Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle contender Catch Me while there are 60 entered in the following day's Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase including the Queen's Barbers Shop.
There are also 60 entries in the Racing Post Plate on 13 March while the same days' Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase for amateur riders has 85 engaged including 20 from Ireland.
The Pertemps Final has 53 entered including Francois Doumen's smart hurdler Millenium Royal and Miko De Beauchene, winner of the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup over fences at Haydock on Saturday for Robert and Sally Alner.
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, which takes place on Friday 14 March has 45 entries. Trainer Nicky Henderson, whose late father is remembered in the race title, accounts for four of those engaged.
The curtain comes down at The 2008 Festival with the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle in which there is a huge 127-strong entry including high-class performers such as Blythe Knight, Clopf, Catch Me, Amaretto Rose, Deep Purple and Leg Spinner.
The weights for the 10 handicaps are revealed next Wednesday 27 February at Cheltenham Racecourse.
