Entries were revealed on Tuesday for the first major contest of the British jumps season, the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, which takes place at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 18th.

Sponsor Paddy Power has priced up the valuable two and a half mile race and make Stage Star its 6/1 favourite. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old is no stranger to success at Cheltenham having landed the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March.

“We’re very happy with him and we’re hoping to run him first time out in the Paddy Power,” said Dan Downie of Owners Group, to whom Stage Star belongs.

“He’s summered really well and Paul’s been delighted with him in recent weeks, so the plan is to go to Cheltenham with him.”

Stage Star – who was also a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler – has been very effective over a trip of two and a half miles, though connections do consider him capable of stepping up in distance in time.

“We’ll just see how we go, we’ve always thought he would get further but I suppose this will tell us a bit more and we’ll go from race to race,” said Downie.

Weights for the race will be released next Tuesday, October 31st.

Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 2m 4f 44y

2.20pm, Cheltenham, Saturday 18th November

Al Dancer (FR) 1 0 Walters Plant Hire Ltd Sam Thomas

Angels Breath (IRE) 9 Walters Plant Hire & Ronnie Bartlett Sam Thomas

Authorized Art (FR) 8 Mr Nick Peacock Willie Mullins Ireland

Barnacullia (IRE) 6 Clearys Syndicate Michael Mulvany Ireland

Black Gerry (IRE) 8 Mrs M. Devine Gary Moore

Chemical Energy (IRE) 7 Caldwell Construction Ltd Gordon Elliott Ireland

Complete Unknown (IRE) 7 JCG Chua & I Warwick Paul Nicholls

Datsalrightgino (GER) 7 The GD Partnership Jamie Snowden

Do Your Job (IRE) 9 Mr Mark Dunphy Lucinda Russell

Easy As That (IRE) 8 Brooks & Taylor Families Venetia Williams

Final Orders 7 C. M. D. Syndicate Gavin Cromwell Ireland

Frero Banbou (FR) 8 Mr P. Davies Venetia Williams

Fugitif (FR) 8 Mr Carl Hinchy & Dr Emad Hussain Richard Hobson

Galia des Liteaux (FR) 7 Mr Michael Ariss Dan Skelton

Harper's Brook (IRE) 7 The Megsons Ben Pauling

Heltenham (FR) 6 Exors of the late Mr N. W. Lake Dan Skelton

Hitman (FR) 7 Mason, Hogarth, Ferguson & Done Paul Nicholls

Il Ridoto (FR) 6 Giles, Hogarth, Mason & McGoff Paul Nicholls

Lord Baddesley (IRE) 8 Mr Richard & Mrs Carol Cheshire Chris Gordon

Minella Drama (IRE) 8 Green Day Racing Donald McCain

Mr Saxobeat (IRE) 7 Roberto Syndicate Tom Gibney Ireland

My Drogo 8 Mr & Mrs R. Kelvin-Hughes Dan Skelton

Notlongtillmay 7 Mr Alan Rogers Laura Morgan

Richmond Lake (IRE) 7 Hemmings Racing Donald McCain

Sebastopol (IRE) 9 C & C Boultbee Brooks Tom Lacey

Shakem Up'arry (IRE) 9 Mr Harry Redknapp Ben Pauling

Stage Star (IRE) 7 Owners Group 044 Paul Nicholls

Stolen Silver (FR) 8 Walters Plant Hire & Potter Group Sam Thomas

The Real Whacker (IRE) 7 Neville, Mann, Duffus, Dennis-Price Patrick Neville

Torn And Frayed (FR) 9 Mrs Caroline Beresford-Wylie Nigel Twiston-Davies

Unexpected Party (FR) 8 O'Reilly MacLennan Tynan Carthy Shanahan Dan Skelton

Whistleinthedark (IRE) 8 Racing On Together Club Laura Morgan

Zhiguli (IRE) 8 Druzhba Racing Partnership Gary Moore

34 entries (1 not qualified)

5 Irish-trained

Not Qualified: Hometown Boy (IRE)

Paddy Power odds:

6-1 Stage Star

8-1 My Drogo

10-1 Unexpected Party. Datsalrightgino, Fugitif

12-1 The Real Whacker

14-1 Final Orders, Hitman, Notlongtillmay, Il Ridoto, Galia des Liteaux

16-1 Authorized Art, Shakem UpArry, Richmond Lake

20-1 Do Your Job, Easy As That, Al Dancer, Stolen Silver, Chemical Energy, Whistleinthedark, Complete Unknown, Black Gerry

25-1 Frero Banbou, Heltenham, Angels Breath, Minella Drama

33-1 Sebastopol, Harpers Brook. Mr Saxobeat, Zhiguli, Torn And Frayed, Lord Baddesley

50-1 Barnacullia