Where and when did Rooster Booster run his first and last races?

For readers unfamiliar with the exploits of Rooster Booster – and, in fairness, he did run his last race two decades ago – he was a popular grey gelding who won 10 of his 46 races under National Hunt Rules, but is best remembered for winning the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 11, 2003. Indeed, that was his second successive Festival success, having won the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle the previous year, but ultimately proved to be the only Grade 1 victory of his career.

Foaled on April 1, 1994, Rooster Booster was initially trained by his original owner, Richard Mitchell, having been bred by his wife, Elsie, at their East Hill Stables in Piddletrenthide, Dorset. The Riverwise gelding made an inauspicious start to his racing career, when, as an unconsidered 50/1 chance, he finished seventh of 18 in a National Hunt Flat Race at Wincanton on February 25, 1999. Having hung badly left inside the final half a mile, he was unable to recover, eventually finishing 31 lengths behind the winner, Mestre Sala.

Rooster Booster opened his account in a maiden hurdle at Taunton on January 6, 2000, but was subsequently acquired by leading owner Terry Warner, in whose yellow and black colours he would eventually win the Champion Hurdle. However, following his transfer to Somerset trainer Philip Hobbs in April 2000, Rooster Booster remained winless for 14 races and would not enter the winners’ enclosure again until the 2002 Cheltenham Festival. The trest, as they say is history and he made a low-key end to his career when fourteenth of 19 in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 13, 2005.