HENRY De Bromhead’s ante-post favourite Notebook headlines 38 entries for the Racing Post Arkle Novices’ Chase, a race his trainer won in 2010 with future Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe. The entries for the four graded novice chases were released this week.

Notebook has carried all before him in three starts this season, latterly defeating Fakir d’Oudairies in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

British stables are headed by Esprit Du Large (Evan Williams) who has also struck at the highest level this term, taking the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park in early December.

Other Racing Post Arkle Novices’ Chase entries to note are Global Citizen, unbeaten chaser Brewin’upastorm and the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Bapaume and Cash Back, both impressive winners on their latest starts.

Fellow Irish handler Matthew Smith is happy to keep his options open for stable star Ronald Pump, who is entered in both the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase and the National Hunt Chase.

Smith said: “Ronald Pump appears to be in great form and will run in the three-mile novice chase at Naas on Sunday. I am waiting to see how he gets on at Naas before we decide what do at Cheltenham.”

The RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase has 53 entries for this year’s edition including Champ (Nicky Henderson) and Slate House (Colin Tizzard).

Ireland’s hand is headlined by evergreen 12-year-old Faugheen (Willie Mullins), winner of the Unibet Champion Hurdle in 2015, and last year’s Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle victor Minella Indo (Henry de Bromhead).

There are a record 71 entries in the Marsh Novices’ Chase (formerly the JLT). Among the contenders is Samcro (Gordon Elliott) who has an entry in the three Grade 1 novice chases.

Willie Mullins has 12 entries as he chases a fifth victory in the race. They include Easy Game and Allaho, who were first and second in a beginners chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, plus Grade 1-winning mare Laurina.

The home challenge includes Mister Fisher (Nicky Henderson) and Midnight Shadow (Sue Smith), who have both been successful over fences at Cheltenham this season.

This year’s National Hunt Chase has 61 entries, headed up by leading ante-post fancies Carefully Selected (Willie Mullins), who needs to qualify this weekend by finishing in the first four over at Naas, and well fancied Champagne Classic (Gordon Elliott).

Race conditions for the National Hunt Chase were changed ahead of the 2020 running. The contest has been reduced in distance to three miles and six furlongs from four miles and there will now be 23 rather than 25 fences jumped. All starters in the National Hunt Chase must also now have a minimum BHA rating of 120 to participate.