CHELTENHAM WIND DOWN WITH TWO-DAY MEET THIS WEEK Bumper entries at this week`s Cheltenham meetings on Wednesday and Thursday April 16th/17th should ensure good fields for Cheltenham`s final days of the season for professional riders. Competitive seven race cards are scheduled for both days, when the first of seven races begins at 1.20pm. Wednesday`s feature event is the Faucets for Mira Showers Silver Trophy Chase over 2m5f, which has produced an above average entry including Lady Cricket, winner of the Thomas Pink Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November 2000. Thursday`s programme features races designed to nurture British breeding,including the final of the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales/E B F Mares Bumper Final, a Stg#25,000 contest, and one of the most valuable bumpers of the season. The principal jump race is the Lady Rebecca Hurdle, the most valuable handicap restricted to mares. Lady rebecca, a multiple winner at Cheltenham, is due to foal this week. To celebrate the recent successes of British bloodstock, several recent winners will be parading before racing. Rooster Booster, this year`s SmurfitChampion Hurdle winner will return to Cheltenham to the scene of his greatest success, and the most recent of three Cheltenham victories this season. See More Business, winner of the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1999, will be appearing, despite his name being suffixed with IRE for Irish-bred. Connections report a mistake at birth has never been rectified for this British-bred. Bridesmaid to See More Business in 1999, Go Ballistic has been one of the most enduring competitors of recent years, running with distinction against top class horses since his debut in 1994. His record of 9 wins belies his enthusiasm and gutsy performances. Grand National victor of 2001 Red Marauder completes the contingent of British-bred winners represented at Cheltenham to promote the interests of home-based breeders.
