CHELTENHAM Festival and Grand National bound horses dominate the entries for the De Vere Gold Cup at Haydock Park this month

The £100,000 event on Saturday, February 23 - the most valuable handicap chase of the National Hunt season so far - is the highlight of Haydock Park's jumping year and attracts a near capacity crowd to the racecourse.

Of the 43 horses entered today last week, 28 also hold entries for the Grand National for which the three-and-a-half mile trip around Haydock is regarded as an excellent preparation.

The De Vere Gold Cup will be broadcast live to a television audience of millions on BBC1.

Three of the entries come from Ireland, including Rince Ri, who won the Pillar Chase at Cheltenham recently and is now a lively outsider for the Gold Cup at the National Hunt Festival in March.

The leading English-trained entries include Behrajan, Kingsmark, What's Up Boys, Bacchanal, Beau and Legal Right.

Also entered are the last two winners of the De Vere Gold Cup - The Last Fling from 2000 and Frantic Tan in 2001, the latter landing a monster gamble on the day of the race.

Adding extra spice to this year's entries is Haydock Park's own racehorse Streamstown - trained by Ferdy Murphy in Yorkshire.

Champion trainer Martin Pipe is responsible for five entries - Take Control, Arlas, Manx Magic, Carryonharry and Majed.

Haydock Park's general manager Adam Waterworth said: "It's a most talented set of entries. The very best horses in long distance steeplechasing are listed for the top race of our jumping season, reinforcing the De Vere Gold Cup as the premier trial race for the Grand National."

Entries for the De Vere Gold Cup, for which there is a maximum field of 24, will be confirmed on Monday 18 February.

*The first race at Haydock on Saturday 23 February is due off at 1.10pm.

Entry is £13 to the combined Newton and Tattersalls Enclosure, £22 to the County Enclosure, and £35 to the Premier Enclosure on the third floor of the Centenary Grandstand. Accompanied children under 16 enter free. More details HERE.