17 ENTERED FOR BETFAIR. DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS ROWLAND MEYRICK HANDICAP CHASE

- JEFFERSON HOPING TRIBULATION CAN MAKE THE LINE UP

A total of 17 entries have been received for the £40,000 Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (1.45pm), the highlight of the six-race programme at Wetherby on Boxing Day, Wednesday, December 26, day one of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting.

Last year's renewal of the three mile, one furlong contest was landed by the Malcolm Jefferson-trained According To Pete and the handler, who is based in Malton, is hoping to be represented this time around by Cape Tribulation.

The eight-year-old has combined running both over hurdles and fences in the past 12 months and also raced on the Flat at York in October. He recorded a memorable double in the spring when successful in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival and in a valuable handicap hurdle at the John Smith's Grand National meeting at Aintree. Cape Tribulation's latest appearance came at Wetherby on November 3, when he was fifth to Tidal Bay in the Grade Two John Smith's West Yorkshire Hurdle.

Malcolm Jefferson said today: "All being well, Cape Tribulation goes for the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase.

"His run on the Flat at York in October (when he was second in a two mile, two furlong handicap under top-weight) was alright but nothing went right for him at Wetherby.

"He is in good form now and we'll just see how things go for him. I just wish the weather would dry up a little bit! There has been so much rain about up here."

The other entries include Helpston and Midnight Chase, who finished second and third respectively in the race 12 months ago. Local Bingley-based handler Sue Smith has two possible starters in Mr Moonshine and Auroras Encore, while Fergal O'Brien has made an entry for the progressive Alvarado, who was successful at Wetherby in the Bobby Renton Handicap Chase on October 17.

The Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, run over three miles and a furlong, was first staged in 1957 and boasts an excellent roll of honour with subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Forgive N Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986) among the winners.

Yahoo, who chased home Desert Orchid in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, scored in 1987, while the Ferdy Murphy-trained Truckers Tavern, second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup, took the spoils in 2004.

An exciting six-race card on Boxing Day gets underway at 12.35pm and also features the £10,000 Read Donald McCain's Column On Betfair Handicap Chase (2.55pm, 25 entries) over an extended two and a half miles.

The £16,000 Castleford Handicap Chase (2.20pm) over two miles is the highlight on Thursday, December 27 the second and final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting. Gates open at 10am on both days.

There will be a real Christmas atmosphere on both days of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting with mulled wine and mince pies on offer for the early birds, as well as live music from  LA Jazz Band and Endeavour Ceilidh Band.

Racegoers will also have the opportunity to interact with reindeer on both days courtesy of Rigmore Reindeer & Co, while, 12 months on from his 'official' retirement, Mister McGoldrick will return to his beloved Wetherby, where he won eight races during a glittering career, thanks to locally-based racehorse retraining centre New Beginnings.

GOING

The going at Wetherby is currently: HEAVY, SOFT IN PLACES