DOUVAN and Altior were among acceptors for the six non-novice Grade 1 races at the Cheltenham Festival, released on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, Willie Mullins sprang a surprise by entering Douvan in today’s Red Mills Chase, but elected not to declare him yesterday. The Walk In The Park gelding has been left in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Festival, for which he has been backed for both.

The eight-year-old hasn’t been seen since sustaining an injury in last season’s Champion Chase. It was hoped he would face Altior in the same race at this year’s Festival and that mega clash could still be on the cards. Nicky Henderson’s gelding heads a field of 21 horses for the two-mile championship race, which contains 12 Irish-trained contenders. Min, Yorkhill and Great Field have also been put forward by Mullins, with the unbeaten Waiting Patiently, the only absentee of real significance.

Sizing John is among 27 horses left in the Gold Cup after 11 scratchings which included Noel Meade’s Disko, who was ruled out of the race by the trainer earlier this week due to a longer-than-expected recovery time from a small stress fracture. Early season gamble Acapella Bourgeois has also been taken out of the race, along with top-rated chaser Bristol De Mai, who is instead bound for the Betway Bowl at Aintree.

The New One is one of four horses to have come out of the Champion Hurdle, where Faugheen retains his entry. Nigel Twiston-Davies’s horse has appeared in the previous four renewals of the two-mile contest but will now be aimed at the Stayers’ Hurdle.

A total of 26, including Apple’s Jade, have stood their ground for that race, with 12 horses coming out. Beer Goggles, winner of the Long Distance Hurdle earlier in the season, and 2015 winner Cole Harden are among the 12 absentees.

Following a total of 16 scratchings, 28 horses remain in the Ryanair Chase, while 27 still remain in the Mares’ Hurdle, which only had six scratchings.