Red Square Vodka Gold Cup Attracts Bumper 48

Last year's victor Ossmoses (10st 6lb) is among a high class entry of 48, just two below last year's record entry of 50, for the #125,000 Grade Three Red Square Vodka Gold Cup, run over three miles, four and a half furlongs at Haydock Park on Saturday, February 17.

The 10-year-old provided County Durham permit holder Don Forster with his biggest success when galloping to a decisive victory a year ago, relishing the testing conditions to come home 15 lengths in front of Model Son.

Champion jump trainer Paul Nicholls, who landed this very valuable prize in 2003 with Shotgun Willy, is responsible for five entries in total, including Ladalko (11st 2lb), who came good last time out in the totesport.com Classic Chase at Warwick on January 13, beating Mon Mome by four lengths, with Naunton Brook (10st 4lb) a length away in third and the likes of Hautclan (9st 4lb) and Heltornic (8st 12lb) in behind.

Neptune Collonges (11st 12lb), who produced a fine weight-carrying performance to take the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in November and fell when looking sure of a place in the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham last time out, Royal Auclair (11st 1lb), runner-up to Hedgehunter in the 2005 John Smith's Grand National, and Cornish Rebel (11st 2lb) are the other entries for the Ditcheat handler along with L'Aventure (9st 10lb), whose biggest success came in the 2005 Welsh National.

The Alan King-trained Kandjar D'Allier (10st 8lb) showed plenty of guts and determination to hold off the late challenges of Wild Cane Ridge (10st 12lb)and Gallant Approach in the Sodexho Prestige Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park on December 16 and could bid for a follow-up victory.

Recent Welsh National hero Halcon Genelardais (11st 12lb), third to Exotic Dancer in the Letheby & Christopher Chase on January 27 and D'Argent (10st 9lb), who returned form a lengthy absence with a thrilling victory in the boylepoker.com Chase at Cheltenham in December, but pulled up in the totesport.com Classic Chase next time, could also represent the Wiltshire-based trainer.

Venetia Williams has three likely contenders in Mon Mome (10st 10lb), runner-up in both this season's Welsh National and the totesport.com Classic Chase, Nil Desperandum (10st 6lb), fourth to Numbersixvalverde in last year's Grand National at Aintree and fourth to Exotic Dancer last time in the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham, and The Outlier (10st 5lb), who showed his liking for a stamina test when taking the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase over three miles at Haydock Park on January 20.

Truckers Tavern (9st 8lb), the 2003 Peter Marsh Chase hero, recent Rowland Meyrick Chase scorer Leading Man (10st 4lb) and Wild Cane Ridge, second in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock Park in December, all finished behind The Outlier that day but could bid for compensation in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup.

Other interesting contenders include Nicky Henderson's consistent Juveigneur (11st 1lb), second to State Of Play in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury in November, when Ron Hodges' Preacher Boy (10st 3lb) ran third and Tom George's Idle Talk (11st 2lb) finished sixth.

The Nick Williams-trained Philson Run (10st 5lb), victorious in the Eider Chase at Newcastle last year, and 2006 Scottish Grand National hero Run For Paddy (10st 3lb), trained by Carl Llewellyn, who rode Party Politics (1993) and Frantic Tan (2001) to victory in this race, are also engaged.

Henry Daly's Billyvoddan (11st 4lb) was revitalised by the application of blinkers in the BGC Silver Cup at Ascot on December 16, storming home by 12 lengths from Zabenz (10st 8lb), while Howard Johnson's Bewleys Berry (10st 7lb) ran a fine second to Eurotrek in the Becher Chase over the big fences at Aintree on November 19.

The last and indeed only Irish-trained winner of the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup was Nuaffe in 1995 for Pat Fahy, and there are a record seven Irish entries for this year's renewal, headed by Ted Walsh's pair Southern Vic (11st 3lb), a Grade One scorer as a novice last season, and Jack High (10st 3lb) , who tasted glory on these shores when lifting the 2005 Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown.

G V A Ireland (9st 13lb), trained by Francis Flood, got the better of Ossmoses in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter last season, while Patsy Hall (10st 11lb) has shown excellent form in novice company this term and chased home Cailin Alainn last time in the Grade One Powers Whiskey Novice Chase at Leopardstown on December 28.

Tony Martin is a man to be feared when he sends horses across the Irish Sea, and he has entered Newbay Prop (9st 3lb), a former point-to-pointer and hunter chaser who scored at Fairyhouse in early December before falling two out when in mid-division in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown later that month.

Francois Doumen supplies the three French entries. Both Innox (10st 8lb) and Kelami (10st 7lb) have captured big prizes on this side of the English Channel - the former took the Racing Post Chase at Sandown last year, while the latter captured the William Hill Chase at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival. The trainer's other entry, Nitrat (9st 13lb), disappointed on his first venture out of France when pulled up at Sandown in December.

Dickon White, Managing Director at Haydock Park, commented: 'The Red Square Vodka Gold Cup is one of the best staying handicap chases of the entire season and boasts an impressive roll of honour.

'This year's race is shaping up to be the best ever with strong representation from Ireland and France.'