Darkness heads record Chase entry
Darkness, winner of the Feltham Chase at Sandown last month, tops a record 91 entries for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old lifted the Grade One event on his last start to add to his previous convincing success at Prestbury Park and he is as low as 5-1 with Ladbrokes for the big race.
Monet’s Garden is the only horse to have beaten Darkness over fences and he has also been entered, although trainer Nicky Richards has indicated he may go for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy instead.
The Listener, winner of a Grade Two event at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, has been entered by Robert Alner while Crozan, another with form at the track, could represent Nicky Henderson.
Martin Pipe has an eight-strong entry in the race headed by Basilea Star who made an impressive debut for yard when winning at Warwick on last month.
