Last year’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Black Hercules is the ante-post favourite for the £120,000 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (97 entries) on the back of a Grade Three triumph at Cork in December and one of 21 entered by Willie Mullins.
There are a record 42 Irish-trained entries in total, including highly-regarded Grade Two victor No More Heroes (Gordon Elliott) and the consistent Martello Tower (Margaret Mullins).
Noel Meade took the spoils last year with Very Wood and has four engaged, headed by easy Navan scorer
Snow Falcon, while Mouse Morris has nominated Alpha Des Obeaux and Baily Cloud.
A strong British entry includes Orbo Ab Chao (Alan King), who narrowly got the better of Value At Risk (Dan Skelton) on Festival Trials Day, and impressive course and distance scorer Blaklion (Nigel Twiston-Davies).
| Horse | Age | Owner | Trainer |
| AENGUS (IRE) | 5 | Patricia Hunt | Noel Meade IRE |
| ALL HELL LET LOOSE (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Sandra Hughes IRE |
| ALPHA DES OBEAUX (FR) | 5 | Gigginstown House Stud | Mouse Morris IRE |
| ALTERNATIF (FR) | 5 | Prof Caroline Tisdall | David Pipe |
| ALVISIO VILLE (FR) | 5 | J P McManus | Willie Mullins IRE |
| AMIDON (FR) | 5 | P H Betts | Lucy Wadham |
| AMINABAD (FR) | 5 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| ANTEROS (IRE) | 7 | K W Bell | Sophie Leech |
| AQALIM | 5 | Bloomfields | John Ferguson |
| ARBRE DE VIE (FR) | 5 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
| ARGENT KNIGHT | 5 | Straightline Construction Ltd | Donald McCain |
| AUVERGNAT (FR) | 5 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill |
| AVANT TOUT (FR) | 5 | Supreme Horse Racing Club | Willie Mullins IRE |
| BAILY CLOUD (IRE) | 5 | R A Scott | Mouse Morris IRE |
| BALLAGH (IRE) | 6 | Carolyn Kendrick | Ben Case |
| BEAST OF BURDEN (IRE) | 6 | Carl Hinchy | Rebecca Curtis |
| BINGE DRINKER (IRE) | 6 | Corsellis, Stockdale & Seyfried | Rebecca Curtis |
| BIRCH HILL (IRE) | 5 | Ronnie Bartlett | Nicky Henderson |
| BITOFAPUZZLE | 7 | Chris Giles & Potensis Bloodstock Ltd | Harry Fry |
| BLACK HERCULES (IRE) | 6 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
| BLAKLION | 6 | S Such & CG Paletta | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| CARACCI APACHE (IRE) | 5 | Henry Ponsonby | Nicky Henderson |
| CARNINGLI (IRE) | 6 | The Newport Partnership | Rebecca Curtis |
| CHAMPAGNE AT TARA | 6 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill |
| CHIDSWELL (IRE) | 6 | David & Nicky Robinson | Nicky Richards |
| COULEUR FRANCE (IRE) | 7 | Patricia Hunt | Noel Meade IRE |
| DEFINITLY RED (IRE) | 6 | P J Martin | Brian Ellison |
| DESILVANO | 6 | International Plywood (Importers) Ltd | James Evans |
| FINE ARTICLE (IRE) | 6 | Kay Browne | Paul Nolan IRE |
| FLETCHER (IRE) | 6 | Philip J Reynolds | Eddie Harty IRE |
| FLETCHERS FLYER (IRE) | 7 | Masterson Holdings Limited | Harry Fry |
| FLINTHAM | 6 | The Rasher Partnership | Mark Bradstock |
| FLY VINNIE (IRE) | 6 | Matros Racing 2 | Sandy Thomson |
| FORYOURINFORMATION | 6 | Carl Hinchy | Rebecca Curtis |
| GLOBALISATION (IRE) | 5 | J P McManus | Rebecca Curtis |
| GOLAN DANCER (IRE) | 7 | S Hunt, R Butler, D Ward, S Girardier | David Bridgwater |
| GROVE SILVER (IRE) | 6 | Alan Baxter Anthony Bloor Dave Cheetham | Jennie Candlish |
| HOW ABOUT IT (IRE) | 6 | Carl Hinchy | Rebecca Curtis |
| INNER DRIVE (IRE) | 7 | McNeill Family | Alan King |
| KAUTO GRAND MOGOL (FR) | 7 | J C Delamere/D McCorkell/H Catherwood | Liz Doyle IRE |
| KAVANAGHS CORNER (IRE) | 6 | Bridget O’Flynn | Simon Earle |
| KILLER CROW (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| KILLULTAGH VIC (IRE) | 6 | Rose Boyd/B Anderson/Mrs M Armstrong | Willie Mullins IRE |
| KINGSCOURT NATIVE (IRE) | 7 | K S B, M Doughty & Sarah Tizzard | Colin Tizzard |
| KINGSWELL THEATRE | 6 | John J Murray | Lucinda Russell |
| KLEPHT (IRE) | 10 | Mrs H Mullins | Thomas Mullins IRE |
| KYLEMORE LOUGH | 6 | M J McMahon | Richard Lee |
| LITE DUTIES (IRE) | 6 | E Casey | Charles Byrnes IRE |
| LYRICAL THEATRE (IRE) | 6 | The Hibo Syndicate | Willie Mullins IRE |
| MAN OF PLENTY | 6 | G Thompson | Sophie Leech |
| MARINERO (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Tony Martin IRE |
| MARTELLO TOWER (IRE) | 7 | Barry Connell | Margaret Mullins IRE |
| MAX DYNAMITE (FR) | 5 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
| MCKINLEY | 5 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| MEASUREOFMYDREAMS (IRE) | 7 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| MILSEAN (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| MONBEG THEATRE (IRE) | 6 | Tim Dykes & Lynda Lovell | Jamie Snowden |
| MONTDRAGON (FR) | 5 | J P McManus | Jonjo O’Neill |
| NATIVE RIVER (IRE) | 5 | Brocade Racing | Colin Tizzard |
| NET D’ECOSSE (FR) | 5 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| NICHOLS CANYON | 5 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
| NO DICE (IRE) | 6 | Malcolm Denmark | Tony Martin IRE |
| NO MORE HEROES (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Gordon Elliott IRE |
| OKOTOKS (IRE) | 5 | Malcolm Denmark | Tony Martin IRE |
| ONE FOR ARTHUR (IRE) | 6 | Two Golf Widows | Lucinda Russell |
| ON IMPULSE (IRE) | 6 | A Heffernan | Ted Walsh IRE |
| ON TOUR (IRE) | 7 | T Hywel Jones | Evan Williams |
| OPEN EAGLE (IRE) | 6 | Supreme Horse Racing Club | Willie Mullins IRE |
| ORDO AB CHAO (IRE) | 6 | A R W Marsh | Alan King |
| OUTLANDER (IRE) | 7 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| OUT SAM | 6 | Richard & Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes | Nicky Henderson |
| QEWY (IRE) | 5 | Bloomfields | John Ferguson |
| RACING EUROPE (IRE) | 6 | P J Martin | Brian Ellison |
| RELENTLESS DREAMER (IRE) | 6 | Nigel Morris | Rebecca Curtis |
| ROI DES FRANCS (FR) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| RUSSIAN BILL (IRE) | 5 | Joseph Kirwan | Noel Meade IRE |
| SAMBREMONT (FR) | 5 | Shanakiel Racing Syndicate | Willie Mullins IRE |
| SCORPIANCER (IRE) | 6 | Bruton Street UK – II | Rebecca Curtis |
| SEMPRE MEDICI (FR) | 5 | Susannah Ricci | Willie Mullins IRE |
| SHANESHILL (IRE) | 6 | Andrea & Graham Wylie | Willie Mullins IRE |
| SHANROE SANTOS (IRE) | 6 | James Summers | Lucy Wadham |
| SHANTOU BOB (IRE) | 7 | Fallon, Shipp & Bolingbroke | Warren Greatrex |
| SHANTOU FLYER (IRE) | 5 | S O’Neill | Colin Bowe IRE |
| SMOOTH STEPPER | 6 | Sue Smith | Sue Smith |
| SNOW FALCON (IRE) | 5 | Patricia Hunt | Noel Meade IRE |
| TEA FOR TWO | 6 | Jane Williams & Len Jakeman | Nick Williams |
| TELL US MORE (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Willie Mullins IRE |
| THE LAST EURO (IRE) | 5 | Highclere T’Bred Racing – The Last Euro | Emma Lavelle |
| THOMAS BROWN | 6 | The Corse Lawners | Harry Fry |
| VALUE AT RISK | 6 | D M Huglin | Dan Skelton |
| VYTA DU ROC (FR) | 6 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Nicky Henderson |
| WARRANTOR (IRE) | 6 | Sarah Drysdale | Warren Greatrex |
| WILD ROVER (IRE) | 6 | The Wild Rover Partnership | Rebecca Curtis |
| WINDSOR PARK (IRE) | 6 | Dr Ronan Lambe | Dermot Weld IRE |
| WINTER WALK (IRE) | 6 | Diamond Racing Ltd | Rebecca Curtis |
| WRATH OF TITANS (IRE) | 6 | Gigginstown House Stud | Sandra Hughes IRE |
| ZEROESHADESOFGREY (IRE) | 6 | Mrs J K Buckle | Neil King |
