Irish challenger Afistfullofdollars looks like taking on Kauto Star and Denman after being supplemented for Friday's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Connections have decided to pay £22,500 to add the 10-year-old to the 20-strong field at the confirmation stage.

Trained by Noel Meade, he won the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse last month by six lengths in only his fourth start over fences.

Defending champion Kauto Star remains favourite for the Festival showpiece.

Should he win again on Friday, he will collect a £1m bonus for winning the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Gold Cup in the same season.

The lead-up to the race has been dominated by the eagerly-awaited clash of Kauto Star and his stablemate at Paul Nicholls's yard, Denman.

The pair have captured the public's imagination this winter taking all before them and jumping followers have been anticipating this clash.

Denman took the SunAlliance Chase in 2007 and is unbeaten in eight chases, including the Hennessy Gold Cup and Lexus Chase this term.

Among the other acceptors are Exotic Dancer, who chased home Kauto Star last March.

There had been some doubt about his participation because of a minor setback but that appears to be behind the Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding now.

Exotic Dancer's owner Sir Robert Ogden also has Star De Mohaison. The latter is trained by Nicholls who has a fourth possible in Neptune Collonges.

As well as Afistfullofdollars, there are two other Irish possibles in Chelsea Harbour and Mossbank, while Richard Chotard's Fustrien Du Paon is the sole French raider.

The list is completed by Aces Four, Azulejo, Billyvoddan, Celestial Gold, Contraband, Halcon Genelardais, Iron Man, Knowhere, Monkerhostin, Ollie Magern and Racing Demon.

Champion Kauto Star and stable-mate Denman top the list of 34 contenders at the latest forfeit stage for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 14 March.

The Paul Nicholls-trained pair's clash in the big race will be the highlight of the Festival.

Kauto Star is the favourite after his comfortable win in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, but many believe Denman has the class to challenge.

Kicking King, the 2005 winner, and 2007 runner-up Exotic Star are also named.

The eight horses withdrawn on Wednesday were Dom D'Orgeval, In Compliance, Madison Du Berlais, Mister Top Notch, Offshore Account, Our Vic, Strong Flow and Tamarinbleu.

Tamarinbleu beat Twist Magic - ante-post favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase - at Ascot last month, but could take in the two-miler or the Ryanair Chase.

"A decision will be made closer to the time but he's in good form. They're both going to be hot races," said trainer David Pipe, who is also set to saddle Celestial Gold and Milan Deux Mille in the Cheltenham showpiece.

As well as stabling Kauto Star and Denman, Nicholls also has Gungadu, Neptune Collonges, Star De Mohaison and Turko still in the Gold Cup.

Nicholls is 10-1 with sponsors totesport to train the first three home.

Kauto Star and Denman are housed next door to each other at the Nicholls yard in Somerset but have never raced against each other.

If they stay fit, the duel will be one of the most anticipated Gold Cup showdowns since the 1960s pomp of steeplechasing legend Arkle.

Kauto Star is the reigning champion, with a victory in Cheltenham's blue riband event and two King George triumphs to his name.

Victory at the Festival would see the eight-year-old claim a £1m bonus for the second consecutive year for landing the Betfair Chase, King George and Gold Cup.

Denman won the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham in March 2007 and sauntered to comfortable successes this season in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and Lexus Chase.

Exotic Dancer has been chasing Kauto Star's tail, but his second last year gives him an each-way chance.

Other interesting contenders include impressive Aintree winner Aces Four and Lexus runner-up Mossbank.

Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup 2008 entries

1241F-P ACES FOUR (IRE) 9 Ferdy Murphy

1F1-0010F ALEXANDER TAIPAN (IRE) 8 Willie Mullins IRE

F21151-0 ANOTHER PROMISE (IRE) 9 Ferdy Murphy

P//415/-2P0 AZULEJO (FR) 10 Michael Scudamore

U/513P-P4 BILLYVODDAN (IRE) 9 Henry Daly

1130/U1/P3 CELESTIAL GOLD (IRE) 10 David Pipe

U0-4P3F1 CHELSEA HARBOUR (IRE) 8 Tom Mullins IRE

2P0450- CONTRABAND 10 Paul Murphy

1111-111 DENMAN (IRE) 8 Paul Nicholls

121-323 EXOTIC DANCER (FR) 8 Jonjo O'Neill

56P-24121 FUNDAMENTALIST (IRE) 10 Nigel Twiston-Davies

0/1P061/0 FUSTRIEN DU PAON (FR) 12 Richard Chotard FR

211F-361 GUNGADU 8 Paul Nicholls

113P-32 HALCON GENELARDAIS (FR) 8 Alan King

22/500-P50 HEDGEHUNTER (IRE) 12 Willie Mullins IRE

1r416F5 IRON MAN (FR) 7 Peter Bowen

111-211 KAUTO STAR (FR) 8 Paul Nicholls

11/1231/2 KICKING KING (IRE) 10 Tom Taaffe IRE

0U-135P1 KNOWHERE (IRE) 10 Nigel Twiston-Davies

21U-1164 L'ANTARTIQUE (FR) 8 Ferdy Murphy

0P-14F00 MAJADAL (FR) 10 Richard Chotard FR

11305-54 MILAN DEUX MILLE (FR) 6 David Pipe

44R5-33 MONKERHOSTIN (FR) 11 Philip Hobbs

F0P-112 MOSSBANK (IRE) 8 Michael Hourigan IRE

216F01-3 NEPTUNE COLLONGES (FR) 7 Paul Nicholls

5/U40-164 OLLIE MAGERN 10 Nigel Twiston-Davies

3F54-14 RACING DEMON (IRE) 8 Henrietta Knight

13U/232/00 RULE SUPREME (IRE) 12 Willie Mullins IRE

124-F113 SNOWY MORNING (IRE) 8 Willie Mullins IRE

111/11-3 STAR DE MOHAISON (FR) 7 Paul Nicholls

1/164-256 STATE OF PLAY 8 Evan Williams

120-U131 THE LISTENER (IRE) 9 Robert Alner

210P-P12 TURKO (FR) 6 Paul Nicholls

P235-41 TURPIN GREEN (IRE) 9 Nicky Richards

Details for all the races at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival (All times GMT).

TUESDAY 11 MARCH

1400 Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle (2m 110y)*
1435 Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (2m)*
1515 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (2m 110y)*
1600 William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase (3m 110y)*
1640 BGC Cross Country Chase (3m 7f)
1720 Fred Winter Junior Novices' Handicap Hurdle (2m 110y)

WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH

1400 Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle (2m 5f)
1435 Royal & SunAlliance Chase (3m 110y)*
1515 Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m)*
1600 Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (2m 5f)
1640 Peter O'Sullevan National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (4m)
1720 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (2m 110y)

THURSDAY 13 MARCH

1400 Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase (2m 5f)*
1435 Ryanair Chase (2m 5f)*
1515 Ladbrokes World Hurdle (3m)*
1600 Racing Post Plate Handicap Chase (2m 5f)*
1640 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (3m 1f 110y)
1720 Pertemps Final (Handicap Hurdle) (3m)

FRIDAY 14 MARCH

1400 JCB Triumph Hurdle (2m 1f)*
1435 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (3m)*
1515 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f 110y)*
1600 Christie's Foxhunter Chase (3m 2f 110y)
1635 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (2m 110y)
1710 David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle (2m 4f 110y)
1745 Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f)