THERE is no less than three weeks to go until the blue riband race of the hunter chase season. The race formerly known as the Cheltenham Foxhunters, which more recently has had the name of the St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase attached to it, is currently being listed without a sponsor. What guise the race takes remains to be seen.

However, what will become clear imminently is the cast of contenders for this year’s race, with Irish entries for the race closing on Monday, ensuring this weekend is the last opportunity for connections to satisfy the entry criteria and book their ticket to the festival.