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Last year's winners Sizing Europe and Albertas Run are among the high-quality entries announced today for two of Cheltenham's championship contests over fences, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase.
Sizing Europe, also winner of the 2010 Arkle Chase, looks set for a rematch with last year=s runner-up Big Zeb in the £320,000 Queen Mother Champion Chase, the highlight on day two of The Festival, Wednesday, March 14. Sizing Europe is 9/4 with sportingbet.com to retain his crown with Big Zeb second favourite at 9/2.
As well as all the established two-mile chasing stars, the 19 Queen Mother Champion Chase entries include the outstanding novices Al Ferof, the 2011 William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle victor and Peddlers Cross, successful in the Neptune Investment Management Novices= Hurdle in 2010. No novice since Piperton in 1962 has won the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Others engaged include last year's Arkle Chase runner-up Finian's Rainbow, Kauto Star's half-brother Kauto Stone and Hold Fast, a seven-length winner of a Sandown handicap chase on his second start for Paul Nicholls on Saturday.
There are 38 entries for the £260,000 Grade One Ryanair Chase, run at The Festival on Thursday, March 15. Albertas Run, who also landed the 2008 RSA Chase, has won the past two Ryanair Chases and his opposition this year could include Noble Prince, winner of last season's inaugural Grade Two Jewson Novices' Chase at The Festival.
The eight-year-old most recently finished runner-up to Big Zeb in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27 and trainer Paul Nolan reports that another trip to Cheltenham is on the cards.
AHopefully, Noble Prince will run in the Ryanair Chase. He goes for the Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse on January 22 and that will be his final run before he heads to Cheltenham,@ said Nolan.
AWe were very pleased with him at Leopardstown. Big Zeb beat us easily in the end but it was a very good run from our horse and I think that he will improve with a faster pace. He=s still a decent enough two mile chaser but two miles and five furlongs around Cheltenham is right up his street.
AHe travelled and jumped well in the Jewson Novices Chase last season. The Ryanair will obviously be a different gravy this time and it looks like it will be a very competitive contest.@
Noble Prince is one of 14 Irish-trained entries in the two mile and five furlong contest with others engaged including the Robbie Hennessy-trained Rubi Light, winner of the Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in December.
Further notable entries include Captain Chris and his stablemate Wishfull Thinking, runner-up to Noble Prince in last season=s Jewson Novices Chase, Kauto Stone, the Nicky Henderson-trained Riverside Theatre and Great Endeavour, winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.