Coney heads RSA contenders Coneygree and Don Poli are the star names among 14 novices going forward for the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. The Mark Bradstock-trained Coneygree has returned from almost two years on the sidelines better than ever this season, racking up a hat-trick of victories over fences to leave connections seriously considering a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week. However, he remains in contention for this Grade One event two days earlier. Don Poli, a winner at last year's Festival over hurdles, has also looked the part over the larger obstacles this term. He is one of five entries for Willie Mullins, although both Vautour and Valseur Lido appear more likely to take in the shorter JLT Novices' Chase next Thursday, while Vroum Vroum Mag is unlikely to make the trip to Prestbury Park at all. Other contenders include the Noel Meade-trained pair of Very Wood and Wounded Warrior and Neil Mulholland's The Young Master. Mullins is also mob-handed in the opening Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle, with 11 of the 28 confirmations housed at Closutton. Plenty have alternative engagements, however, and his chief hopes for this event appear to be Nichols Canyon and Outlander. Dermot Weld's Windsor Park is another major contender for the Irish, with John Ferguson's Parlour Games heading the home team. Pylonthepressure and Bordini top the Mullins team in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, for which 38 horses have stood their ground. David Pipe's Moon Racer is one of the better fancied British runners.
