The high profile withdrawals at the latest stage from the National Hunt Chase include Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Blaklion who remains in the RSA Chase, Harry Fry’s Fletchers Flyer, the injured Killultagh Vic, No More Heroes the favourite for the RSA, Silsol and Southfield Vic.

Taken out of the RSA Chase were the Harry Fry-trained Activial and Bitofapuzzle along with Bristol De Mai who has the JLT Novices as his target and Minella Rocco.

Tony Martin’s Blair Perrone was withdrawn from the JLT Novices Chase along with Killultagh Vic, Noble Endeavor, Sametegal, Thomas Brown, Thomas Crapper and Un Temps Pour Tout. Colin Kidd’s Rashaan and Cheltenham new year winner Wolf Of Windlesham were withdrawn from the Triumph Hurdle.

Handicap changes for 2016 festival

The Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, which was run as a handicap up to and including last year, becomes a conditions event this year. Entries for this contest will be released next Wednesday, March 2nd.

Earlier this season, Cheltenham Racecourse and the British Horseracing Authority announced a change to the declaration arrangements for the 10 handicaps staged at the festival.

Under the new arrangements, a horse will not be permitted to be declared to run if they are already due to run in another handicap at the festival which has yet to take place.

This is being done to help ensure that declared runners are intended rather than possible participants. Declarations to run for all the handicaps at the festival are made 24 hours beforehand so the change only concerns races the following day, meaning it will still remain possible for a horse to appear twice in handicaps at the festival.