A TOTAL of 965 entries were unveiled this week for the 10 handicaps staged at the festival in two weeks’ time.

The opening Tuesday plays host to the Grade 3 Ultima Handicap Chase, where two of the past three winners - 2014 scorer Holywell (Jonjo O’Neill) and 2013 winner Golden Chieftain (Colin Tizzard) - are among the entries.

The Kim Bailey-trained Kruzhlinin currently tops the market at 10/1 ahead of last Saturday’s Ascot winner Sausalito Sunrise. Neil Mulholland has two leading contenders in The Young Master and The Druids Nephew.

Warren Greatrex’s multiple winner Aloomomo had a run over hurdles at Ascot at the weekend and is fancied around the 16/1 mark.

Pat Fahy’s Morning Assembly is also on target for the race ahead of a bid for the Grand National.

CORAL CUP

The ultra-competitive Grade 3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle and Fred Winter 4YO Hurdle take place on Wednesday. Gordon Elliott has runners vying for favouritism in both the Coral Cup and the Fred WInter in the shape of Diamond King and the J.P. McManus-owned Campeador respectively. Jer’s Girl is also among seven Irish Fred Winter entries.

Politologue, trained by Paul Nicholls, is the Coral Cup favourite for the same connections as last year’s winner Aux Petit Soins. Last Saturday’s impressive Ascot winner Different Gravey is also likely to be in the line up, currently at 16/1, and Nicky Henderson’s charge will be of interest even if he tops the weights.

Three handicaps take place on St Patrick’s Thursday (March 17th) - the Listed Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle, the Grade 3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase and the concluding Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase for amateur riders.

PERTEMPS

Nicky Henderson enjoyed his first success in the Pertemps Final last year and is responsible this year for leading contender Cup Final who disputes favouritism with another J.P. McManus runner in Charles Byrnes’ Leave At Dawn, who was a course winner in November. Taquin Du Seuil (Jonjo O’Neill) landed the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Festival in 2014 and won at Warwick earlier this month, propelling him to the head of the market for the Brown Advisory and Merriebelle Stable Plate. Philip Hobbs’ course winner Village Vic is also well supported ante-post.

Doctor Harper (David Pipe) is an exciting novice and he currently heads the market for the Fulke Walwyn Kim Challenge Cup Handicap Chase, a race his stable won last year with The Package.

Henry Higgins would be an appropriate winner of the Grade 3 Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle, as the Leopardstown Coral Hurdle winner is trained by Charles O’Brien, son of the legendary trainer in whose memory the race is named. There are many high-class entries including Paul Nicholls’ Grade 1 winner All Yours, plus recent Irish novice winners for Gordon Elliott, Ball D’Arc, Squouateur and Tycoon Prince. Elliott’s Desoto County is also well to the fore in the betting as is Willie Mullins’ French import Townshend, only fourth on his Irish debut behind Squouateur last time.

Also on Gold Cup Day is the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. David Pipe has five entries in the race run in honour of his father.

The Festival draws to a close with the Grade 3 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase.

Festival veteran Somersby is on track to contest his eighth consecutive Cheltenham Festival bu may sidestep the Champion Chase where he finished second last year in favour of this two-mile handicap which closes the meeting.

Weights for all handicaps at the festival will be revealed at Cheltenham next Wednesday.