Cheltenham Gold Cup 2022 Entries: 30 horses entered for Cheltenham Festival showpiece

Thirty horses have been entered for the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday 18th March...

Spearheading the star-studded list of staying chasers is last year's impressive winner Minella Indo, and the Henry De Bromhead-trained raider will attempt to retain the crown he won in superb style last March. However, a disappointing performance in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day has seen his odds drift considerably, and the duo at the forefront of the market are another Irish-trained duo in the shape of last year's second A Plus Tard and 2020 National Hunt Chase winner Galvin,

The pair fought out a memorable renewal of the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last month, which saw Galvin come out on top and with both contenders enhancing their already lofty reputation, and with A Plus Tard having serenely scooted to glory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park earlier in the season then he will be another premier shot fired by the De Bromhead team, and he sits clear favourite for the race.

Willie Mullins saddled Al Boum Photo to back-to-back wins in the race in 2019 and 2020, and the class act showed the fire still burns bright a few days ago when he cruised to a fourth win at Tramore on New Year's Day, and the Mrs J Donnelly-owned star is towards the upper end of the market, while shock King George VI Chase winner Tornado Flyer was slashed in the betting following his Kempton Park success, and he's another prominent figure.

Other notable Irish-trained runners include Asterion Forlonge, who was a late faller in the King George and could be one that bolsters a strong Mullins team heading to the Cheltenham on the final day, while Ryanair Chase hero Allaho also gains an entry.

With five of the last six winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup being trained in Ireland, the British trainers will be eager to try and get a stranglehold on the blue riband event, and their team is headed by the Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat, who was last seen cruising to victory in the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree, and is an improving chaser.

Nicky Henderson has saddled the likes of Long Run and Bobs Worth to Gold Cup glory and he has entered the classy JP McManus-owned duo of Chantry House and Champ. Pulled up in the early stages of the King George, Chantry House is somewhat on a comeback mission at the moment, but he showed when winning the Marsh Novices' Chase last season that he relishes tackling the undulations of Cheltenham and is a smart performer on his day.

A fine winner of the three-mile novice chase earlier in his career at the Cheltenham Festival, Champ has had somewhat of an indifferent couple of years, as he was pulled up in the Gold Cup last season, when well fancied. Returning over hurdles for his seasonal reappearance in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, Champ produced a fine performance over the smaller obstacles, and while he's been entered here, it could be that he takes his chance in the Stayers' Hurdle on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.

Others of note include star novice Ahoy Senor and the Venetia Williams-trained Royale Pagaille, who both add significant depth to the line-up.