Willie Mullins has entered a bumper crop of 24 horses for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11.

Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Douvan top-class bumper performer Shaneshill and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned pair of Outlander and McKinley feature in the list for the County Carlow handler.

There are 44 Irish entries out of 110 in total. Parlour Games winner of a Grade Two event of the same name at Prestbury Park in November also appears on the list, having followed up in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury over Christmas.

John Ferguson's charge appears the chief British contender for the two-mile-five-furlong contest .

Nicky Henderson is responsible for nine entries, including dual Grade Two scorer Vyta Du Roc and Kilcrea Vale who powered to a 26-length victory on his hurdling debut at Market Rasen on January 15.

Other contenders include last weekend's Cheltenham winner Ordo Ab Chao trained by Alan King, and the Harry Fry-trained and JP McManus-owned Jollyallan