Cheltenham Festival corporate hospitality news: Bothy qualifies for Cotswolds event

24/02/2010

Cheltenham Festival corporate hospitality ticketholders may be tempted to have a flutter on Bothy following the horse's recent good form.

Following a second victory at Taunton on February 23rd 2010, Bothy has qualified to appear in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival, which gets underway in less than a month.

His owner, Bristol-based Dan Gilbert, said the Fred Winter race will be the first choice for Bothy, but that there is a contingency plan in place if he cannot make the field - the Triumph Hurdle.

Jockey Keith Mercer partnered with the horse to claim the victory at Taunton and he expressed his eagerness to do the same at the festival.

Following the win in Somerset, he said: "That's the second time I have been down here to ride him and I'd love to keep the ride at Cheltenham."

Gilbert and Mercer will each be hoping that Bothy can follow in the footsteps of Silk Affair, who won the 2009 Fred Winter.

Posted by Sam Smith