The second day of the Cheltenham Festival brings another outstanding card, with competitive novice races, a fascinating Cross Country Chase, and the Queen Mother Champion Chase taking centre stage.
With several open contests and a mix of established stars and progressive challengers, Day 2 offers plenty of betting intrigue. Below is a full race-by-race preview and selections for Wednesday 11th March.
1:20 – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
An incredibly open renewal of the 2 mile five furlong novices’ hurdle, with a full field of 22 going to post for the first time in a long while. The field is headed by no drama this end for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden. He is 3/3 over hurdles this season, including two Grade 2 victories, one at the track, and the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle. the new lion ended the Challow Hurdle winners’ curse in this race last year, so he would have a good chance but is a short price for such a competitive race.
SOBER is a very interesting runner for Willie Mullins. He hacked up on the flat at Royal Ascot in the Queen Alexandra Stakes, romping to a five-length victory and then won the Moscow Flyer Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown on his hurdling debut. Although that was only a three-runner race, he should come on for that experience, and he should appreciate the ever-drying ground at Cheltenham. Mullins first string king rasco grey looked to be the one worth siding with, but the very disappointing run of talk the talk in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle yesterday would be enough to put you off the form line from the DRF trial for this race. ballyfad who split talk the talk and king rasco grey is also respected but passed over as a result.
act of innocence won the Sydney Banks Listed race at Huntingdon in good style but also threw in a very disappointing performance at Newbury when turned over at odds of 2/7. If coming on from his Huntingdon run, he could figure at the end and get in the places.
2:00 – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
With the abolition of the 2 and a half mile novices’ chase at the Cheltenham Festival, favourite ROMEO COOLIO has had his hand forced in stepping up to 3 miles for the first time. His chances were obviously boosted by kargese’s win in the Arkle, who he outstayed at the DRF when staying on powerfully to claim victory. A perfect 4/4 over fences this season he will take all the beating if seeing out the step up in trip. He is a strong selection here.
However, there are a few dangers worth considering in the race. final demand was a warm favourite for the majority of this season, until a spectacular blow up at the DRF when 30/100 favourite. That day he finished third behind kaid d’authie and western fold, who both re-oppose here. final demand’s jumping was very poor that day and there did not appear to be many excuses. The vibes have been slightly uncertain coming in, so he would be best avoided. kaid d’authie would ideally like the ground to be softer but could not be ruled out, and on the contrary, western fold should appreciate the return to better ground. All could be made a case for, but ROMEO COOLIO is the selection.
2:40 – BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
The obvious place to start with this race is always with trainer Dan Skelton. Skelton trained langer dan to back-to-back wins in this race in 2023 and 2024 with a masterful campaign on both occasions, bringing the horse back from a dip in form to peak just in time. Here he saddles kateira. Skelton put this horse up at much bigger prices in the run up to the Festival and the market has taken notice, shortening right into third favourite in places. The price is now less appealing, but it would not be a surprise if Skelton was able to pull it off.
The selection is KOPEK DE MEE for Willie Mullins and JP McManus. Going into the Festival last year, the horse was gambled in 5/2 favourite for the Martin Pipe and was a huge talking horse, but his inexperience showed and he was beaten very early. He showed his true running a few weeks later at Aintree, when finishing second in a competitive handicap hurdle, where things again did not quite go all his way, and the winner managed to get first run. He embarked on a chase campaign this season but fell in his only start over fences and has now been reverted back to hurdles, which has been a successful decision for previous winners of this race.
3:20 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
Perhaps the most maligned race at the Festival, but one that has seen some amazing horses such as tiger roll pass through it at the end of a glittering career. Last year’s winner STUMPTOWN returns to defend his crown after a sensational victory. He stayed on powerfully from an unpromising position, running out a comfortable seven length winner. Last year’s third and stablemate vanillier will once again line up in the race against the selection. He also found himself well out of position after nearly taking the wrong course, before running on very strongly to place. He will line up on 7lbs better terms with STUMPTOWN, however now 11, preference would be for the younger horse to confirm last year’s form.
favori de champdou is the joint favourite for this race, for a trainer that has an exceptional record in it. He won the trial for this race comfortably at Cheltenham Trials Day, as well as winning a very competitive handicap chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He is up 8lbs for his success round this track but appears to be in as good form as he has been for a while and will pose a very potent threat to the defending champion.
4:00 – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
majborough is a warm favourite and even shorter since the withdrawal of last year’s winner marine nationale. He should really have won last year’s Arkle but made two horrendous errors at the last two fences. He rallied late and did very well in the end to finish third, beaten just over three quarters of a length. He made amends at Punchestown when bolting up in the Grade 1 Novices’ Chase to end the season.
This season his form was riddled with errors, suffering defeats at Cork and Leopardstown at Christmas. However, at the DRF, Mullins fitted cheekpieces for the first time, and he was ridden aggressively from the front. His jumping was much more polished and he romped the field, winning by 19 lengths. At odds on he may well go and win well, but there are a few doubts which when coupled with the abysmal recent record of short priced favourites in this race, might make taking him on worthwhile.
il etait temps is a high-class horse but as of yet has failed to put it all together at Cheltenham. A repeat of his performances in the Clonmel Oil Chase and Tingle Creek this season, or his decisive win in the Celebration Chase at Sandown to end last season would put him right there. However, his prep could hardly have been worse, taking a crashing fall when in the process of putting in a well below standard performance in the Clarence House.
Preference would be for L’EAU DU SUD who started the season with a 15 length defeat of jonbon at Cheltenham. He only finished three quarters of a length behind majborough in last year’s Arkle and ran a blinder when second in the County Hurdle to absurde the year before at the Festival. His Cheltenham record is enough to make me forgive his sound beating in the Tingle Creek at the hands of il etait temps. He has been off the track since then and comes into this much fresher than his conqueror that day.
4:40 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Handicap Chase
The Grand Annual looks a typically tricky Cheltenham handicap to solve. The market is headed by be aware for the Skeltons who took out the Plate Handicap Chase on Day 1, with a very well handicapped chaser in madara. He started the season with an easy win at Stratford, before finishing runner up in three graded novice chases to good quality opponents. Back handicapping he is likely to give a bold showing for a trainer in good form.
jazzy matty will be looking to make it a third win at the Festival after landing the Fred Winter in 2023 and this race last year. He is up 8 pounds from last year’s success but his campaign this season looks to have had this race in mind. He obviously goes well at the Festival and is more than capable of handling himself in a big field handicap. A mark of 143 might not be beyond his ability.
Given the connections, a chance is taken on INTHEPOCKET. He finished a good fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2023, before following up by winning the Grade 1 at Aintree a few weeks later. His runs over fences since have been very disappointing but he showed some glimmer of a return to form in a very competitive handicap chase at the DRF. He should relish the better ground and if the market speaks in his favour he should be taken seriously off a lowly mark of 146.
5:20 – Wetherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
There does not appear to be a standout contender for this year’s Champion Bumper and as a result this preview is kept brief. Willie Mullins is usually a good guide for this but has the ability to win the race with any of his five runners. Patrick Mullins has chosen to ride love sign d’aunou for Champion Hurdle winning connections. Although he is probably the most likely winner, the vibes do not seem to be as strong as they usually are for a Mullins hotpot in this race.
A chance is taken on Gordon Elliott’s second string BROADWAY TED who won the Grade 2 bumper at the DRF. There should be more to come from this horse, who travelled well before showing forgivable signs of inexperience, but was able to hold on and get the job done in the end. Stable jockey Jack Kennedy has opted for keep him company who is 3/3 in bumpers and should also give a bold showing. A very tough race to call to end Day 2 as we reach the halfway stage of the Festival.
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