34 entrants, including the last three winners of chasing’s Blue Riband.
Imperial Commander is the reigning champion, having stormed to a seven-length victory over Denman in 2010. Trained locally near Naunton by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the 10-year-old made a winning seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in November.
Denman, successful in 2008 and one of seven entries for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, is also entered again this year along with the 2010 third Mon Mome, the fourth Carruthers and the fifth Cooldine.
Kauto Star, who took the spoils in 2007 and 2009, is also among the Nicholls-trained contingent.
Kauto Star’s 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup victory, when Denman took the runner-up spot, was an historic moment as he became the first horse to regain the prize and he will also have history to overcome if he is to prevail this year as no 11-year-old has triumphed since Mandarin in 1962, while the last winner older than 10 was the 12-year-old What A Myth in 1969.
A faller in last year’s race, the Clive Smith-owned chaser will bid for an historic fifth victory in the rescheduled King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Saturday (January 15th).
Denman is set to head straight to The Festival, having finished a gallant third under top-weight in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November behind the impressive Nick Williams-trained winner Diamond Harry.
Nicholls’ other representatives could also include Neptune Collonges, who took third in 2008 and fourth in 2009, Noland, whose finest hour came when taking the 2006 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, What A Friend, who landed Grade One victories at Aintree and Leopardstown last season, and the exciting duo of Pride Of Dulcote and The Nightingale.
In addition to Imperial Commander, four other winners at The Festival in 2010 have been entered. Albertas Run was triumphant in the Grade One Ryanair Chase, while Festival Trophy Handicap Chase winner Chief Dan George and Sizing Europe, who scored over two miles when taking The Arkle Challenge Trophy, are also engaged.
David Pipe has entered Byrne Group Plate victor Great Endeavour, whilst Jonjo O’Neill, trainer of Albertas Run, also provides an intriguing entry in Synchronised, who was last seen out at Chepstow on January 8 when taking the Coral Welsh National.
Another trainer doubly represented is Nicky Henderson, who has entered Long Run and Punchestowns. Long Run, an import from France, emerged as one of the brightest young talents on the scene when successful in the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton in December 2009, and subsequently took third behind Weapon’s Amnesty in the RSA Chase at The Festival.
After finishing third on his seasonal reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 13, the six-year-old is set to take on Kauto Star at Kempton Park on Saturday.
Punchestowns, a high-class staying hurdler, was a disappointing fifth in last season’s RSA Chase and came second on his seasonal reappearance to Pride Of Dulcote at Newbury on December 29.
There is a strong potential challenge of nine from Ireland including Pandorama, who entered the reckoning for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a facile six-length success over Money Trix in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, a race in which Joncol finished third, Glencove Marina fourth and The Listener fifth.
The Irish entry also includes the aforementioned Cooldine, trained by Willie Mullins and winner of the RSA Chase at The Festival in 2009 as well as Sizing Europe.
Mullins could also be represented by the Grade One scorers Barker and Kempes. Mouse Morris provided the last Irish-trained winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup when War Of Attrition prevailed in 2006 and his potential representative is China Rock, who got the better of Sizing Europe at Punchestown in October before taking fourth behind Kauto Star in the Grade One JNwine.com Chase at Down Royal on November 6.
Along with last year’s The Arkle Trophy victor Sizing Europe, another horse which could step up in trip is Forpadydeplasterer, winner of the same race at The Festival in 2009. The Tom Cooper-trained nine-year-old has finished runner-up on his last seven starts, most recently when second to Gauvain in the Sinbad Testimonial 2010/2011 Chase at Cheltenham on November 14.
If one horse has made Cheltenham his second home so far this season it is Midnight Chase. The Neil Mulholland-trained nine-year-old has won three competitive handicap chases in succession at the course, rising almost two stone in the handicap in the process.
No novice has prevailed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup since Captain Christy in 1974 but one horse who might seek to change that statistic is the Paul Webber-trained Time For Rupert, runner-up to the mighty Big Buck’s in the World Hurdle at The Festival in 2010 and a comfortable winner of his two chasing starts, both of which have come at Cheltenham.
Also entered are the Philip Hobbs-trained Planet Of Sound, a Grade One winner at Punchestown in April and third on his latest start behind Imperial Commander at Haydock Park in November and the enigmatic Tidal Bay, winner of The Arkle Trophy in 2008 and a staying-on second in the same Haydock contest.
Weird Al was forced to miss last year’s Festival with a late setback but the eight-year-old, a dual winner over fences at Cheltenham, could represent Ian Williams this time around. Completing the entry is the Rebecca Curtis-trained Carronhills, formerly a smart hunter chaser in Ireland but not seen out for almost two years.
The best-price available for each of the 34 entrants are detailed below:
Imperial Commander 4/1 (Bet365)
Kauto Star 5/1 (Stan James)
Denman 8/1 (Paddy Power)
Diamond Harry 10/1 (888sport)
Pandorama 14/1 (Victor Chandler)
Pride Of Dulcote 20/1 (Skybet)
Midnight Chase 20/1 (Paddy Power)
Punchestowns 25/1 (Bet365)
Long Run 25/1 (Stan James)
Sizing Europe 28/1 (Sportingbet)
What A Friend 33/1 (William Hill)
Time For Rupert 33/1 (Skybet)
Joncol 33/1 (Bet365)
Planet Of Sound 40/1 (Victor Chandler)
Albertas Run 40/1 (888sport)
The Nightingale 40/1 (Bet365)
Cooldine 40/1 (Paddy Power)
Weird Al 50/1 (Bet365)
Tidal Bay 50/1 (Totesport)
Forpadydeplasterer 50/1 (Sportingbet)
Kempes 50/1 (Victor Chandler)
Carruthers 50/1 (Bet365)
Synchronised 50/1 (Stan James)
China Rock 66/1 (Skybet)
Neptune Collonges 66/1 (Skybet)
Money Trix 66/1 (Bet365)
Noland 100/1 (Paddy Power)
Great Endeavour 100/1 (Victor Chandler)
Glencove Marina 100/1 (William Hill)
The Listener 100/1 (Stan James)
Mon Mome 100/1 (Skybet)
Barker 100/1 (Bet365)
Chief Dan George 150/1 (888sport)
Carronhills 200/1 (Victor Chandler)
Imperial Commander is the favourite to win the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup
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