Reining champions Best Mate, Rooster Booster, Moscow Flyer and Baracouda were declared to go forward to defend their Cheltenham Festival titles following yesterday's forfeit stage for the nine championship races.
Best Mate, successful in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup for the last two years, is bidding to become the first hat-trick winner of chasing's top race since the legendary Arkle in 1964-1966. The Henrietta Knight-trained nine-year-old faces competition from up to 19 others including French challenger Jair Du Cochet, who was runner-up in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at last year's Festival.
The French star has since won the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham, while other challengers to Best Mate include Kingscliff, who took the Christies' Foxhunter Chase at the 2003 Festival, Beef Or Salmon, Therealbandit, Truckers Tavern, Florida Pearl, Keen Leader and First Gold.
Rooster Booster remains on course for back-to-back victories in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle after just failing by the narrowest margin to defy top-weight in one of the Tote Gold Trophy. The grey has 23 potential challengers this year, notably Rigmarole, winner of last Saturday's Axminster Hurdle at Wincanton from Intersky Falcon, and Rhinestone Cowboy.
Moscow Flyer, one of the big Irish hopes for success, is trying to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase for the second successive year and is another after a third successive victory at the Festival, having captured the Irish Independent Arkle Chase in 2002.
Trained by Jessica Harrington, the 10-year-old chaser has 13 potential opponents including four from trainer Paul Nicholls led by Azertyuiop, who took the Irish Independent Arkle Chase last year, with Cenkos, Kadarann and Venn Ottery completing the quartet.
Flagship Uberalles, the 2002 Queen Mother Champion Chase victor, and Isio, successful in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot earlier this year, are others still engaged.
Baracouda is also going for a Festival hat-trick, having won the bonusprint.com Stayers' Hurdle for the last two years. He has 18 possible challengers, notably Iris's Gift, who was runner-up last year and Solerina but Rhinestone Cowboy has been taken out.
The opening Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices' Hurdle has 79 entries going forward, including Lingo, Garde Champetre, Brave Inca and Albuhera, while the Royal & SunAllianace Novices' Hurdle also includes Brave Inca plus Inglis Drever and Cornish Rebel among the 79 remaining entries.
The JCB Triumph Hurdle still has 92 entries while the Irish Independent Arkle Chase has 25 left in. A total of 33 go forward for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase including Our Vic, Lord Sam and Pizarro.