Exciting Two-Day April Meeting At Cheltenham This Week Cheltenham Racecourse opens its doors for the first time since The Festival with two top-quality days of action on Wednesday and Thursday, April 13 and 14. The highlight of the two-day programme is the £50,000 Grade Two Faucets For Mira Showers Silver Trophy (2.35pm), one of the final events in the British Horseracing Board´s Order of Merit, run over 2m 5f on Wednesday. The 18 entries include Well Chief, the 2004 Irish Independent Arkle Trophy winner and second last time out to Moscow Flyer in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, as well as Seebald and Tikram, first and second in this contest last year. Other possibles include Le Roi Miguel, second on his latest appearance to Moscow Flyer in the John Smith´s Melling Chase at Aintree last week and My Will, fifth in the Irish Independent Trophy at The Festival on his latest appearance. Wednesday´s action gets underway with the £13,500-added Centaur Exhibition & Conference Centre Novices´ Hurdle (1.25pm), which has received a strong entry of 35, followed by the £15,000-added Telectronics Systems Handicap Chase (for the Golden Miller Trophy) (2.00pm) over an extended three miles and a furlong. Among the 25 entries for this contest are Royal & SunAlliance Chase victor Lord Noelie, the veteran Gunner Welburn and Jurancon II, winner of the valuable Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock in 2004. The £18,000-added MITIE Group Handicap Hurdle (3.10pm) has received 30 entries including Martin Pipe´s Celtic Son, a five-time winner this season and runner-up at Aintree last week and also Admiral, now a useful juvenile hurdler for Richard Guest having previously landed the King George V Handicap on the Flat at Royal Ascot. Tom George´s exciting novice Lord Of Illusion, last seen out when successful in the Cheltenham & Three Counties Club Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park on January 1, could return to action in the £15,000-added Messier Dowty Landing Gear Novices´ Chase (3.45pm), a race which could also feature the Paul Nicholls-trained Red Devil Robert, victorious on his last three starts. Last year this race fell to Celestial Gold, who went to win both the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury this season. Speaking today, Stroud-based George revealed: 'Lord Of Illusion is more than likely to run at Cheltenham on Wednesday. 'He was also entered in the Scottish National at Ayr on Saturday but I´ve taken him out of that today. The ground would have been too soft for him there - he wants genuine good ground. 'He had an infected sinus which has kept him out of action since he won at Cheltenham in January but he seems ready to run again now, touch wood. 'He is also entered at Punchestown and there is also a possible race at Kelso for him later on - we are keeping our options open and he will go wherever there is good ground. The Cheltenham race will hopefully be the ideal race to start him off again.' Tom George is currently vying for top honours in the Gloucestershire Trainers Championship and will go into the meeting just behind Richard Phillips, with the results at this meeting deciding who will scoop the trophy. The Cotswold Life Gloucestershire Trainers´ Championship Novices´ Hurdle (3.45pm) over two miles and a furlong takes place on Thursday, with Martin Pipe´s Imperial Cup winner Medison among the 33 entries. On Wednesday evening, there will be a sale of young jumping prospects in The Centaur, organised by auctioneers Brightwells. This sale is a unique event in the bloodstock and racing calender. Horses will be available to view throughout the day with the auction itself taking place inside The Centaur, where dinner will also be served. The sale was first held last year and proved to be a great success. Further details can be obtained by telephoning 01432 355300 or by visiting brightwells.com. Taking centre stage on Thursday´s seven-race programme is the £22,500 Listed Yorkshire Bank Mares´ Only Handicap Hurdle (2.35pm) over an extended two miles and five furlongs, where there are 27 entries including Martin Pipe´s Inch Pride, victorious in four of her last five starts. The feature chase of the day is the £15,000 Nicholson Holman Cup Handicap Chase (3.10pm) over an extended two miles where there are 20 entries including Richard Lee´s exciting novice Almaydan and last week´s surprise John Smith´s Topham Chase victor Cregg House. Cheltenham favourite Earthmover, winner of the Christie´s Foxhunter Chase at The Festival in 1988 and 2004, is one of 18 entries for the £5,000-added Baulking Green Hunters´ Chase (4.20pm) over the Gold Cup distance of an extended three and a quarter miles along with Samuel Wilderspin and Ask The Natives, an impressive winner on his hunter chase debut last month. Thursday´s action concludes the professional season at Cheltenham and an award for the stable staff of the trainer responsible for the most best turned out awards at Cheltenham throughout the season will be made. Paul Nicholls is currently leading this competition, the prize for which is a weekend at the luxurious Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel in Gloucestershire for 20 members of staff (10 rooms for two people each). Both days of racing take place on the NEW COURSE, with the ground currently riding good on both the chase and hurdle courses. Clerk of the Course Simon Claisse explained: 'We will be watering to maintain GOOD ground for the April meeting. 'There is also some rain forecast for Wednesday night but we are hoping for good ground on both the hurdles and the chase courses.'
