Daily Telegraph Festival Trophy Chase Analysis

This year's inaugural £150,000 Grade Two Daily Telegraph Festival Trophy, run over two miles and five furlongs on Thursday, March 17, promises to be a cracking event with 39 entries including 10 from Ireland.

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Champion trainer Martin Pipe dominates the entries and is responsible for no less than nine possibles, including Celestial Gold, winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and also victorious in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

The seven-year-old could be joined by stablemates Horus, It Takes Time, Our Vic, who was leading when falling at the last in the bonusprint.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December, Seebald, a three-time winner at Cheltenham, Therealbandit, victorious four times at Prestbury Park and runner-up behind Grey Abbey on his latest start in the Pillar Property Chase on January 29, the 2000 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy victor Tiutchev, Upgrade and the enigmatic Venn Ottery, who finished fifth in last season's Queen Mother Champion Chase and recently joined Pipe.

Edredon Bleu, now 13 years old, has twice won at The Festival, having landed the 1998 Grand Annual Chase and Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2000. He recently shaped well in a run over hurdles at Kempton and could be joined at Cheltenham by his stable companion Impek, who showed signs of a return to form when second last time out behind Oneway at Sandown.

The 10 Irish-trained entries are headed by Kicking King, winner of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Tom Taaffe's charge will be bidding to make it third time lucky at The Festival, having finished second in the 2003 Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices' Hurdle and filling the same position behind Well Chief in last season's Irish Independent Arkle Trophy.

Completing the Irish contingent are Central House, victorious in the Grade One Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, Hi Cloy, a good third behind Moscow Flyer last time out, Le Coudray, Macs Gildoran, Mossy Green, Native Upmanship, runner-up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2002 and 2003, Rathgar Beau, successful three times in Grade Two company this season, Risk Accessor, second in the 2003 Grand Annual Chase and The Galway Man, owned by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary through his Gigginstown House Stud.

Paul Nicholls looks to hold a strong hand with his four entries. These are Le Duc, triumphant on his penultimate start at Cheltenham when accounting for Redemption by four lengths in the Unicoin Homes Handicap Chase, this season's Grade Two Peterborough Chase hero Le Roi Miguel, leading novice My Will, victorious on his latest two starts at Uttoxeter and in Cheltenham's Grade Two Unicoin Homes ADipper Novices' Chase on January 1, as well as Thisthatandtother, runner-up three times at Cheltenham this season in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, bonusprint.com Gold Cup and Victor Chandler Chase.

Other leading contenders include Monkerhostin and Farmer Jack from the Philip Hobbs yard. Monkerhostin was a Festival winner in 2004 when taking the Coral Cup and confirmed his liking for the course when landing this season's bonusprint.com Gold Cup in December while Farmer Jack captured a Grade Two contest at Aintree earlier this season.

Buckby Lane was a very impressive winner on his first start in over a year when taking the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase at Cheltenham on January 29 while Noel Chance has never made any secret of the high regard in which he holds Murphy's Cardinal, winner of his first six starts and fifth on his latest outing behind Rule Supreme in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown. Nicky Henderson has two to choose from in Calling Brave and the 2002 bonusprint.com Gold Cup and 2003 Paddy Power Gold Cup victor Fondmort. Howard Johnson has entered the 2003 Charlie Hall Chase hero Ballybough Rasher and Valley Henry.

Completing the field are Kevin Bishop's very useful novice Ashley Brook, Knife Edge from the Jonjo O'Neill stable, last season's Grade One Ascot chase scorer Hand Inn Hand, the 2004 Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup Chase winner Tikram and Mixsterthetrixster.