Another alternative has been revealed today for leading Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Gloria Victis who is one of 46 entries announced for the Cathcart Challenge Cup Chase at the Festival on March 16th.
Martin Pipe's exciting novice, winner of the Racing Post Chase at Kempton last month, can land a £50,000 bonus if taking this race, the Gold Cup or the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase.
The French-bred gelding is also in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.
The entries for all 20 races at the three-day Festival have now been made with a record 55 being engaged in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Six of the eight runnings of the race have been won by Irish-trained horses, three of them sent out by Willie Mullins.
Mullins has five entries in the race this year while Mark Pitman, successful last season with Monsignor, has four possibles.
There are 34 in the Christie's Foxhunter Challenge Cup including last year's winner Castle Mane and Mighty Moss, while there are 44 engaged in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup.
Cheltenham's Managing Director Edward Gillespie said: "We are particularly pleased by the large entry for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, a race that was run for the first time as recently as 1992.
"It has proved an excellent grounding for National Hunt stars of the future with previous winners Monsignor, Florida Pearl, Dato Star and Alexander Banquet all bidding for major honours at this year's Festival."
Meanwhile Richard Linley, the Jockey Club senior inspector of courses, has declared himself happy with the state of the track at Cheltenham.
Clerk of the course Philip Arkwright explained: "He went round, measured every fence, looked at every hurdle and checked all the rail alignment.
"There was the odd comment on hurdles and there was one bit of rail he thought we could line up a bit better but overall he was entirely happy."
After another dry day the ground at Prestbury Park looks set to dry out this week.
"The forecast is for very mild weather up to the weekend, no significant rain is forecast and I'm leaving the ground good to soft, soft in places," Arkwright added.
Meanwhile, Coral have tried to liven up betting on the Smurfit Champion Hurdle by offering prices on Istabraq's winning distance.
Aidan O'Brien's charge is 3-1 to win the race by less than three lengths, 11-4 with Coral to win by three to six lengths but he is just 5-2 to win by more than six lengths.
"Ante-post betting on the three feature races has been killed by the presence of short-priced favourites, and we had to do something to stimulate interest," said Coral spokesman Simon Clare.
"The man in the street is not going to back Istabraq at 2-7 but he is not going to back against him. These special bets give the small stakes punter a chance to back the so-called 'good things' at attractive prices," added Clare.
The Barking firm are offering a similar "distance special" for Flagship Uberalles and See More Business.
