The weights were revealed for all 10 of the handicap races at the Cheltenham Festival today.

Among the notable weights allotted to Irish-trained horses to catch the eye is Patrick Kelly’s Mall Dini, who would have to carry 10st 7lb should he take his chance in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the first day of the Festival.

Kelly won the Pertemps Final with Mall Dini last season and looks to have another leading contender for that race in Presenting Percy who scored in impressive style at Fairyhouse on Saturday. However, the six-year-old son of Sir Percy will have to carry 11st 10lb in the three-mile hurdle.

Dinaria Des Obeaux, trained by Gordon Elliott, would likely have to carry close to top-weight should she run in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. The four-year-old filly has been given a weight of 10st 12lb, however three of the four horses weighted above her are all likely to take up their engagements in the Triumph Hurdle inculding top-weight Mega Fortune.

Elliott, who holds the largest proportion of the Irish-trained entries for the handicap races, won the Coral Cup last season with Diamond King and the same horse has been given a weight of 11st in his bid for back-to-back Festival wins in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.

Elsewhere Noel Meade’s Ice Cold Soul has been allotted 10st 2lb for the Randox Health County Hurdle and 10st should he take his chance in the Coral Cup. The Gigginstown-owned gelding would be on for a £100k bonus if he were to win the Coral Cup, following his win in the Coral.ie Hurdle at Leopardstown in January.

Gordon Elliott will be bidding to win the Coral Cup for the third time and of his 17-strong entry, only 1lb separates two of his leading hopes Brelade (10st 9lb) and Automated (10st 8lb).

The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle was confirmed by Elliott as the target for The Storyteller and he has been given a weight of 11st 7lb for that contest while the JP McManus-owned Squouateur has 11st 5lb should he take his chance in the Close Brothers Handicap Chase on the first day of the meeting.

Ivanovich Gorbatov could carry 11st 4lb in the County Hurdle or 11st 2lb in the Coral Cup. Arctic Fire would have to carry top-weight of 11st 12lb in the County Hurdle while recent Punchestown winner Mick Jazz has 10st 11lb in the same race.

Alongside the weights information was a statement from senior British Handicapper Phil Smith, who has come under fire recently for his assessment of Irish horses, in particular with the Aintree Grand National weights published last week.

Smith said: “In response to a disproportionately high success rate of Irish runners in British handicaps - which reached as high as 18% in 2004/05 compared to a British strike rate of 9.5% - it was agreed that the British handicappers should keep performance figures for Irish Jump races.

“This is in no way a comment on our colleagues in Ireland. It is purely for consistency purposes - handicapping will always be subjective and it makes sense for every runner in handicaps in Britain to be assessed by British handicappers using identical methodology.

“Since switching approaches the strike rate of British and Irish runners have levelled out with the Irish strike rate remaining marginally higher at 11% compared to 10% for British runners.

“We have also monitored success rates at the four major festivals since 2006, where the British strike rate is 250 winners from 5,199 runners at 4.8%, compared to 154 Irish winners from 2,990 runners at 5.2%.”