Racing: Black Jack Ketchum heads a total of 35 horses entered for the £250,000 Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Unbeaten in eight starts, the eight-year-old already has one Festival success to his name after a nine length romp in the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle last year.
On his only outing this season he won the Grade Two Relkeel Hurdle, and he is currently a red-hot favourite with the sponsors at 4-5 to retain his unbeaten record.
He is one of five entries for Jonjo O'Neill, who won the race in 2004 with the recently retired Iris's Gift.
O'Neill also has East Tycoon, Fire Dragon, Refinement, and the former Grade One winner Rhinestone Cowboy who missed an intended engagement at Warwick on Saturday due to a bout of colic.
The main opposition to Black Jack Ketchum will come from 2005 winner Inglis Drever who attempts to become only the second horse to recapture his crown following Crimson Embers in 1982 and 1986.
Howard Johnson's charge proved he is still a force to be reckoned with by winning the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November.
Dual Champion Hurdler Hardy Eustace is a fascinating entry for Dessie Hughes, while the mare Asian Maze also has the option of the longer three mile event as well as the Champion Hurdle.
The Irish are also represented by last season's Champion Hurdle fourth Al Eile, Adrian Maguire's improving Celestial Wave, Finger On The Pulse, Our Ben, Powerstation, Santa's Son and Strangely Brown.
Henry Daly's Mighty Man, third last year, and Nicky Henderson's Temoin will also be fancied to run well, while Lucy Wadham's United has an entry.
David Pipe has given recent novice chase winner Dom d'Orgeval an entry along with Over The Creek and Lough Derg and Emma Lavelle has entered the impressive novice Labelthou.
There are three possibles from France. Francois Doumen's Kasbah Bliss and Millenium Royal and Francois Cottin's Grande Steeple-Chase de Paris winner Princesse d'Anjou.