Riverside Theatre, Burton Port, Captain Chris and What A Friend head the entries for the highlight of the Punchestown Festival meeting, the tote.com Punchestown Gold Cup on April 25.

The 32 entries for this year's renewal shows a massive increase on the 14 of last year, and also includes the last two winners of the race Planet Of Sound and Follow The Plan.

The British challenge is further boosted by the Donald McCain-trained pair Weird Al and 2011 Grand National winner Ballabriggs.

The home team includes exciting novice First Lieutenant, who could carry the colours of Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud.

The seven-year-old, runner-up to Bobs Worth in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham, is also entered in the Grade 1 Growise Champion Novice Chase on Tuesday, April 24, but Sir Des Champs - winner of Cheltenham's Jewson Novices' Chase - is likely to carry the Gigginstown colours in that race.

"If all goes well and both are sound on the day then Sir Des Champs would go for the Growise Champion Novice Chase on the first day of the meeting," said Eddie O'Leary, racing manager to Gigginstown House Stud.

"I'm not saying he definitely will, but First Lieutenant could go for the Gold Cup. We've kept the two of them apart all year and I think we will still try and keep them apart.

"It's been so far so good with Sir Des Champs so let's hope he stays sound for Punchestown. It was a fantastic run by First Lieutenant at Cheltenham and we've been very happy with him. He was beaten by a very good horse that day and perhaps the ground was a bit too soft for him over there."

The Gigginstown colours are also set to be carried in thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup by Quito De La Roque, who looked a hugely-exciting prospect before disappointing in the Lexus Chase on December 28.

"All being well Quito will go for the Gold Cup and he's very, very well," said O'Leary. "We were all very disappointed the last day when he got beaten but he was sick afterwards. Hopefully we'll see him back to his best again at Punchestown."

Trainer Noel Meade revealed today that Realt Dubh, who finished fifth in the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on his only start this season, is set to step up in trip for thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup.

"I think Realt Dubh will run in thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup over three miles and one furlong," said Meade.

"I don't know if the trip will bring out improvement because last year when he got beat in the Drinmore Novice Chase I worried that he didn't get two and a half miles, but then he won the Powers Gold Cup over two and a half.

"I just think two miles is too short for him and there is no two and a half mile race at Punchestown so the three mile and one furlong race is the one he will go for. That's what the plan is at the moment anyway.

"If it was really heavy ground he would probably go for the Boylesports.com Champion Chase over two miles at Punchestown.

"It was his first run for a long time in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and he ran OK. He didn't run in the Webster Cup at Navan on Saturday because of the ground."