Tony McCoy was not happy today ...
Some tips ...
Tiger Roll triumphed earlier.
Today's winners ...
- Ballymore Novice Hurdle (1.30): City Island (M Walsh) 8-1
- RSA Novice Chase (2.10): Topofthegame (H Cobden) 4-1
- Coral Cup (2.50): William Henry (N De Boinville) 28-1
- Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): Altior (N De Boinville) 4-11fav
- Cross Country Chase (4.10): Tiger Roll (KM Donoghue) 5-4fav
- Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50): Band of Outlaws (J J Slevin) 7-2fav
- Champion Bumper (5.30): Envoi Allen (Mr JJ Codd) 2-1fav
Champion Bumper (5.30) result
1 Envoi Allen (Mr J J Codd) 2-1 Fav
2 Blue Sari (B J Geraghty) 7-2
3 Thyme Hill (R Johnson) 20-1
14 ran
Also: 14-1 Abacadabras 4th
CSF: 8.00
Tricast: 109.79
Champion Bumper (5.30): Envoi Allen is sent for the line by Jamie Codd, but Blue Sari is chasing him up the run-in. Jamie Codd wins his second race of this Festival on Envoi Allen, prevailing by a length. Blue Sari is second and Thyme Hill is third.
Updated
Champion Bumper (5.30): Some Detail leads from Master Debonair, Flic Ou Voyou and The Glancing Queen. From leader to last, only about eight lengths separate the field as they get towards the business end of the race ...
Champion Bumper (5.30) 2m
They’re away in the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper, Some Detail making the running in the final race of the afternoon with the field tightly bunched. Master Debonair comes upsides the leader, Some Detail. Thyme Hill is in third place ...
Champion Bumper (5.30) betting
- Blue Sari – 11/4
- Envoi Allen – 4/1
- Ask for Glory – 13/2
- Meticulous – 8/1
- Abacadabras – 11/1
- Sempo – 11/1
- Master Debonair – 20/1
- Thyme Hill – 25/1
- The Glancing Queen – 25/1
- Flic Ou Voyou – 45/1
- Cascova – 45/1
- Jetski – 100/1
- Some Detail – 200/1
- Thor De Cerisy – 200/1
- Monitor the market moves with Oddschecker
Champion Bumper (5.30) preview
Extraordinarily, Willie Mullins is trying to win this race for the 10th time, having bagged last year’s running with the strong-finishing Relegate. He’s got such a long history in this race that he actually rode his first winner in it, back in 1996. Sometimes he turns up mob-handed for this race,
which doesn’t always end well, but he has won it four times with his only runner in that year’s contest and aims to turn that trick again, with Blue Sari, who won his only start handily. But he’s a four-year-old and only Cue Card has won for that age group in the past 20 years.
Envoi Allen has progressed in three bumpers for Gordon Elliott, while Meticulous, who chased him home last time, is also prominent in the betting. Abracadabras was putting up a fine effort behind Envoi Allen when ducking out through a rail last month. If he can improve on that first run for four months, he could get involved.
Updated
Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50) result
1 Band of Outlaws (J J Slevin) 7-2 Fav
2 Coko Beach (J W Kennedy) 14-1
3 Ciel De Neige (R Walsh) 17-2
4 King D’Argent (Harry Skelton) 25-1
21 ran
Non Runner: 9
Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50): “Thanks very much, delighted for everyone,” says young trainer Joseph O’Brien, looking incredibly dapper in the parade ring as he’s accosted by Racing TV’s Lydia Hislop. “JJ gave the horse a fantastic ride. We thought he was better than a handicapper and we’re over the moon. JJ didn’t panic and he kept him balanced.”
Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50): They’re very tightly grouped as Torpillo retains his lead, but half the field are in contention as they head uphill, making the turn home. Coko Beach has a narrow lead going over the final flight, but Band of Outlaws comes to claim the lead on the run-in and wins comfortably under JJ Slevin to give Joseph O’Brien his first official winner at the Festival. He’d previously trained one that ran in his father’s name, but this is all his.
Updated
Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50) 2m
They’re away in the penultimate race of the day, with Torpillo making the running from Fox Pro and Fine Brunello ...
Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50) betting
- Band of Outlaws – 5/1
- Ciel De Neige – 9/1
- Lethal Steps – 10/1
- Fine Brunello – 12/1
- Star Max – 12/1
- Dandan Du Seuill – 12/1
- Coko Beach – 16/1
- Dogon – 16/1
- Naturelle – 18/1
- Maze Runner – 20/1
- Got Trumped – 25/1
- La Sorelita – 22/1
- Our Power – 28/1
- Beat the Judge – 25/1
- Praeceps – 20/1
- Torpillo – 20/1
- King Dargent – 25/1
- Chief Justice – 33/1
- Oi the Clubb Ois – 33/1
- Prabeni – 40/1
- Idilico – 40/1
- Zizaneur – 66/1
- Fox Pro – 66/1
- Cracker Factory – 80/1
- Monitor the market moves with Oddschecker
Preview: Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50)
A really tricky event, this, being a handicap for four-year-olds, some of whom have only raced three times. Band Of Outlaws looks highly progressive and is a worthy favourite, albeit at a short price. Lethal Steps was a quality animal on the Flat and might have got in here on a nice rating.
Ciel De Neige is the type of horses that adds to the confusion here, being winless in three in France but now racing for Willie Mullins and likely to step forward on that. Fox Pro has been with the Nick and Jane Williams team throughout but has raced only in France so far. The one that catches my eye at big odds is Our Power, who goes well on soft and seems to be improving nicely for Alan King.
AP McCoy slams the BHA ...
SIr Anthony McCoy is furious with the British Horse-racing authority over what he terms their “embarrassing” decision to suspend Irish jockey Declan Lavery for 10 days after yesterday’s final race.
😠 "I'm embarrassed for the BHA!"
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2019
Three jockeys were banned over welfare concerns and its fair to say @AP_McCoy isn't happy with the decision. He had some strong words for the authorities....
Watch the #CheltenhamFestival LIVE on @ITV pic.twitter.com/Nai9MkAY6z
Cross Country Chase (4.10) result
1 Tiger Roll (K M Donoghue) 5-4 Fav
2 Josies Orders (M P Walsh) 15-2
3 Urgent De Gregaine (Felix de Giles) 17-2
15 ran
Also: 33-1 Ballycasey 4th
Non Runner: 8
Tote: win 2.10 places 1.40 1.90 2.30
Tote Exacta: 11.80
CSF: 9.41
Tricast: 59.84
Updated
Cross Country Chase (4.10) “Some horse, some performance,” says Keith O’Donoghue to ITV. “He tanked the whole way - he’s got the heart of a lion. What a trainer Gordon is to get him back here every year. It’s a dream come true.”
Trainer Gordon Elliott looks a relieved man: “Tiger is something else,” he says. “He got us out of a trouble because we’re having a tough week.”
The reigning Grand National Champion and now a four-times winner at Cheltenham, Tiger Roll looks to be improving all the time and could emulate Red Rum by winning back-to-back Grand Nationals.
Updated
Cross Country Chase (4.10): Tiger Roll leads by five or six at the second last and is pulling clear. Tiger Roll pops the last and wins doing handstands (disclaimer: doesn’t actually do handstands). THat victory couldn’t have been more emphatic and gets a winner on the board for trainer Gordon Elliott. Tiger Roll wins for jockey Keith Donohue.
Updated
Cross Country Chase (4.10): Kingswell Theatre leads from Ballycasey and Tiger Roll ... Kingswell Theatre leads from Tiger Roll, who is travelling well with five to jump ... Tiger Roll moves up on the outside of Kingswell Theatre ...
Cross Country Chase (4.10): Devil’s Bride is pulled up at the back of the field, as Kingswell Theatre continues to lead from Fact Of The Matter, Ballycasey, Tiger Roll and Josie’s Orders ... they’ve 11 to jump. Tea For Two blunders and unseats Lizzie Kelly.
Cross Country Chase (4.10) 3m 6f
They’re away and running in the Cross-Countryountry, with 32 obstacles of varying shapes sizes and difficulty to negotiate: banks, hedges, timber rails, a replica of the Aintree’s Canal Turn, cheese wedges (disclaimer: not actual cheese) and what not ... Kingswell Theatre leads them along under Tom Scudamore ...
Cross-Country Chase (4.10) betting
- Tiger Roll – 13/8
- Auvergnat – 7/1
- Josies Orders – 8/1
- Ultragold – 14/1
- Urgent De Gragaine – 9/1
- Fact of the Matter – 20/1
- Tea for Two – 22/1
- Ballycasey – 28/1
- Jarob – 66/1
- Bless the Wings – 33/1
- Kingswell Theatre – 50/1
- Vyta Du Roc – 50/1
- Amazing Comedy – 25/1
- Aubusson – 150/1
- Devil’s Bride – 150/1
- Monitor the market moves with Oddschecker
“Tiger Roll is the standout horse but doesn’t represent a great deal of value at 13/8 and you can’t be too confident with Gordon Elliott’s festival form,” says Oddschecker racing guru Sam Eaton. “That said, I’m not brave enough to fully back against it. Auvergnat has finished 4th both in the last two running’s and will enjoy the cut in ground. It’s well worth back at 4/1 in the without the favourite market.
Altior 3-1 for the King George.
— Tony Paley (@tonypaley) March 13, 2019
Cross-Country Chase (4.10)
Tiger Roll, trying to win this for the second year in a row, is perhaps the most likeable horse running at this Festival, being a tough, durable little tyke who has somehow won a Grand National and three different races at this meeting before he turned nine. It’s a bit of a worry that he seems to be drifting in the betting but then he was allowed to start at 25-1 in his prep-race and he won that.
Auvergnat has 17 lengths to make up on Tiger Roll from last year but the fitting of blinkers helped him win a valuable handicap chase over Christmas and could help him once more. Josie’s Orders has won four times around this idiosyncratic circuit, including a handicap in November, and another big effort would hardly surprise.
France’s Urgent De Gregaine has been consistently good in three runs here and was only two lengths behind Tiger Roll a year ago.
Altior wins the Champion Chase
Altior, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, has won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, equalling the record of 18 for the most successive wins recorded over jumps.
Jockey Nico De Boinville had the brilliant Nicky Henderson-trained two-miler in a prominent position throughout, chasing the pace set by Saint Calvados.
The field packed up behind Altior going to the last as Sceau Royal and eventual runner-up Politologue challenged on either side. However, the nine-year-old – who had made an early mistake at the water jump – dug deep to prevail by one and three-quarter lengths at odds of 4-11.
Updated
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30) result
1 Altior (Nico de Boinville) 4-11 Fav
2 Politologue (H Cobden) 11-1
3 Sceau Royal (D A Jacob) 16-1
9 ran
Also: 25-1 Hell’s Kitchen 4th
CSF: 7.20
Tricast: 45.22
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): Altior wins his 18th in a row, but those punters who had bets of £100,000 and £50,000 on them would have been sweatingwhen Sceau Royal and Politologue came upsides him on the hill to the finish line. One of them actually headed him briefly, but he dug in and forged clear to put daylight between him and his rivals when it mattered.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): Altior takes up the running with Sceau Royale on his inside. Altior wins the Queen Mother Champion Chase from Politologue with Sceau Royale in third. It was far from his most convincing win, but he triumphed nonetheless. Altior wins by a length and a half.
Updated
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): Altior moves upsides Saint Calvados with Politologue in third. They’ve two to jump and the field is tightly bunched.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): Saint Calvados leads them to the water jump, where Altior dips his toes in the drink but is fine. Ordinary World is struggling at the back of the field. They’ve four to jump ...
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30): They set off, with Altior trying to make it 18 unbeaten. Saint Calvados charges to the front with Altior alongside him in this equine equivalent of the 400m hurdles. Saint Calvados leads by two lengths from Altior, with the other seven runners about six lengths behind.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30) 2m
The horses are down at the start, with Nico De Boinville looking cool as cucumber on the favourite, Altior. In stark contrast, the horse’s trainer, Nicky Henderson, looks a bag of nerves in the stand. It’s difficult to see anyone beating him, but you never know ...
Some big hitters in the ring: One female punter has just put down a £50,000 bet on Altoir to win the Champion Race at the odds 2/5, which could see a return of £70,000, reports bookmakers.tv. The bet marks the biggest bet of the day, so far.
At least it did, until just a few moments ago, when ITV’s Brian Gleeson reported that one punter put £100,000 on Altior to win £40,000. Personally, I ‘d be more of the view that if you have the £100,000, you probably don’t need the £40,000.
Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30) betting
- Altior – 2/5
- Min – 7/2
- Politologue – 22/1
- Saint Calvados – 50/1
- Sceau Royal – 25/1
- Ordinary World – 40/1
- God’s Own – 35/1
- Castlegrace Paddy – 33/1
- Hells Kitchen – 40/1
- Follow the market moves with Oddschecker
“Altior is an absolute beast and is 4/9 to make it eighteen wins on the bounce,” says Oddschecker racing expert Sam Eaton. “Min is easily the second-best horse in the race and is 5/6 without Altior. Another one to look at is Hell’s Kitchen (16/1 each-way without Altior). The eight-year-old is pretty quirky but showed his best when beating Janika in tricky conditions.”
Queen Mother Champion Chase (2.50) preview
It’s deja vu all over again, as Altior is sure to start a short price with Min as his main rival, just like when they were first and second a year ago. Seven lengths separated them that day and it could be a similar outcome here. Saint Calvados could set a strong pace in the first-time cheekpieces.
Politologue is really good when things fall right but the Festival has not shown him to best effect in previous years. Sceau Royal could do with the ground drying out. God’s Own is pretty senior for this at the age of 11 but was third last year and has continued to run to a high level this winter.
Coral Cup (2.50) result
1 William Henry (Nico de Boinville) 28-1
2 Wicklow Brave (Mr P W Mullins) 28-1
3 Ballyandy (Sam Twiston-Davies) 14-1
4 Brio Conti (H Cobden) 10-1
25 ran
Also: 13-2 Fav Uradel
Non Runner: 26
CSF: 673.59
Tricast: 10893.30
Coral Cup (2.50): William Henry wins under a cool and patient ride from Nico De Boinville for Nicky Henderson. He does Wicklow Brave on the line.
Updated
Coral Cup (2.50): Cracking Smart from Knight In Dubai ... Wicklow Brave comes from nowhere . William Henry comes with a late run ... William Henry comes with a late, late run to beat Wicklow Brave on the line ... I think. I reckon there’ll be a photo, but William Henry looks to have won it.
Coral Cup (2.50): Monbeg Theatre, Dancing On My Own, Lil Rockerfeller make the running in a well strung out field that has five to jump on the final circuit. Monbeg Theatre leads from Eragon De Chanay and Dancing On My Own as the field bunches up with three to jump. Cracking Smart moves into third ...
Coral Cup (2.50) 2m 5f
They’re off and running in the Coral Cup, traditionally a 26-runner handicap hurdle from which it is famously hard to pick a winner. Lil Rockerfeller and Eragon De Chanay are prominent early doors. In midfield, Dancing On My Own is threatening to pull Rachael Blackmore’s arms out of her shoulders. With the field strung out, Monbeg Theatre leads and is followed by Dancing On My Own ...
A well earned drink for the GIANT that is Topofthegame 💧
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 13, 2019
A serious contender in next year's @MagnersUK Cheltenham Gold Cup?#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Jz3vWGhrJ7
Coral Cup (2.50) betting
- Uradel – 13/2
- Brio Conti – 10/1
- Cracking Smart – 14/1
- Killutaugh Vic – 14/1
- Farclas – 16/1
- Vision Des Flos – 16/1
- Ballyandy – 16/1
- Dancing on My Own – 16/1
- Highest Sun – 18/1
- Apples Shakira – 20/1
- Canardier – 20/1
- Erick Le Rouge – 20/1
- Scarpeta – 22/1
- Tully East – 25/1
- Wicklow Brave – 28/1
- Tully East – 25/1
- Knight in Dubai – 28/1
- Calie Du Mesnil – 28/1
- Diamond Cauchois – 28/1
- Bleu Berry – 28/1
- Lil Rockerfeller – 33/1
- William Henry – 33/1
- Burbank – 50/1
- Eragon De Chanay – 80/1
- Oscar Knight – 80/1
- Monbeg Theatre – 100/1
- Monitor the market moves on Oddschecker
Oddschecker is donating 5p for every Cheltenham bet throughout the Festival to the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.
Coral Cup (2.50) preview
The six runners fielded by Willie Mullins must be the place to start here, especially since Uradel is a strong favourite. Beaten just a neck in the Cesarewitch in October, he finished well into fifth at Leopardstown last month and this step up in trip should help, though he seems a short price for what he has done over obstacles.
In the same colours and at four times the odds, Mullins also has Bleu Berry, who won this last year. He has won nothing since but has still looked talented at times and this is his first chance in a handicap since. At the top of the weights, Mullins also has Wicklow Brave, last seen chasing home Espoir D’Allen at Naas in January, which looks pretty good form in light of the winner’s Champion Hurdle success yesterday.
Wicklow Brave won a shorter handicap hurdle at the Festival four years ago. Brio Conti won well at Ascot but possibly could have done without the rain. Cracking Smart represents Gordon Elliott, who did so well in the handicaps last year, and this one is making his handicap debut from a fair rating. Dancing On My Own is an unexposed runner for Henry De Bromhead and should improve for the step up in distance.
Elliott off to a slow start ...
Gordon Elliott has edged out Willie Mullins in the race to be the meeting’s top trainer for the last two years but his attempt to complete a hat-trick of Festival titles has not got off to the most promising of starts.
The comprehensive defeat of Battleoverdoyen, the 3-1 favourite, in the opening Ballymore Novice Hurdle was another setback for Elliott, while Delta Work subsequently failed to justify favouritism in the RSA. His runners later on today’s card include likely favourites Tiger Roll (Cross-Country) and Envoi Allen (Bumper).
Elliott has now had 14 runners at the meeting and only two have even made the frame. Having started favourite on Tuesday to win the trainers’ title at around 6-4, he is now out to around 9-2 third-favourite behind both Mullins and Nicky Henderson.
His supporters, though, can take heart from his come-from-behind performance at last year’s Festival, where he again drew a blank on the opening card. His meeting did get up and running in the Ballymore, admittedly, when Samcro came home in front, but his first winner was then followed by six more. It is too early to write him off yet, but he needs a winner soon.
Updated
RSA Novices’ Chase (2.10) result
1 Topofthegame (H Cobden) 4-1
2 Santini (Nico de Boinville) 3-1
3 Delta Work (D N Russell) 15-8 Fav
12 ran
Also: 20-1 Mister Malarky 4th
Tote: win 4.30 places 1.60 1.50 1.60
Tote Exacta: 14.90
CSF: 15.10
Tricast: 28.91
Updated
RSA Novices’ Chase (2.10): “Didn’t he run up that hill?” says jockey Harry Cobden in a post-race interview with ITV. “He’s a beast. He’s only just growing into himself.”
Updated
RSA Novices’ Chase (2.10): Santini moves to the front and is joined by Topofthegame at the last. Topofthegame wins the RSA under Harry Cobdon for trainer Paul Nicholls. Sanitini was second and Delta Work was third. An amazing lead at the last gives Topofthegame a lead of half a length at the last and he wasn’t caught on the run-in.
Updated
RSA Novices’ Chase (2.10): Drinks Interval leads by a length four from home with Drovers Lane, Delta Work, Santini, Mortal, Drovers Lane and Now McGinty are all in contention. They’ve two to jump ...
RSA Novices’ Chase (2.10): Drinks Interval leads by one length from The World’s End and Now McGinty at the halfway mark. The field is fairly tightly bunched, with Santini in fourth. On The Blind Side is pulled up.
RSA Novices' Chase (2.10) 3m
Away they go in the second, a three-mile chase with just under £100,000 going to the winner. Still without a winner at the Festival and with his horses running badly, Gordon Elliot’s Delta Work goes off at 15-8 favourite. If this one doesn’t deliver, questions are going to be asked about the form of the horses being saddled by last year’s top trainer.
The World’s End leads from Top Ville Ben, Now McGinty, Santini, Drinks Interval and Topofthegame are the leaders. Santini makes a mistake but doesn’t look too badly affected. Top Ville Ben is an early faller.
Jump Girls ...
In an interview before the first race, Rachael Blackmore, who rode Notebook in a bid to follow up on her winner yesterday, was asked about being a hugely successful female professional jockey. “I think the female jockey conversation is done now, she told ITV’s Alice Plunkett. With apologies, Rachael ...
RSA Novices' Chase (2.10) betting
- Delta Work – 5/2
- Santini – 3/1
- Topofthegame – 4/1
- On the Blind Side – 12/1
- The World’s End – 22/1
- Mister Malarky – 22/1
- Drovers Lane – 28/1
- Mortal – 28/1
- Now Mcginty – 33/1
- Top Ville Ben – 40/1
- Count Meribel – 66/1
- Drinks Interval – 125/1
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Oddschecker is donating 5p for every Cheltenham bet to the Injured Jockeys Fund
Updated
RSA Novice Chase (2.10) preview
If Gordon Elliott is still winnerless by this point, surely Delta Work can get him over the line, being a really classy chaser in the making. He won a handicap hurdle at the last Festival. The weather has come right for Santini and there will be much less emphasis on speed than when he was third at Kempton over Christmas. His third in last year’s Albert Bartlett was a decent first outing at the Festival and he is hopefully over the soreness he suffered in a foot last week.
Topofthegame has yet to win over fences but his two second places this term represent quality form and he was just pipped in a handicap hurdle here last year. On The Blind Side worked rather better than Santini in a racecourse gallop recently but can take a while to warm up in his races.
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (1.30) result
1 City Island (M P Walsh) 8-1
2 Champ (B J Geraghty) 9-2
3 Bright Forecast (Nico de Boinville) 25-1
16 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Battleoverdoyen, 11-1 Brewin’upastorm 4th
Tote: win 9.00 places 2.90 2.10 7.40
Tote Exacta: 54.20
CSF: 41.49
Tricast: 889.05
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1.30): Mark Walsh rides his second winner of the Festival, winning the opener on City Island for trainer Martin Brassil, who saddles his first Festival winner.
“This horse, it’s only his fourth run over hurdles and that’s the first graded race he’s been in,” says Walsh, in an interview with ITV. “It’s difficult to know how good he his because when he gets in front he doesn’t do a stroke.”
Updated
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1.30): Valdieu, Seddon, Champ, Sam’s Prfile, City Island are all in the shake-up as they head for the last. City Island disputes the lead with Champ. City Island leads at the last by half a length from Champ. City Island wins under Mark Walsh, Champ is second and Bright Forecast is third.
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1.30): Seddon, Valdieu, Beakstown, Dunvegan are the leaders as a well bunched field turns towards the third last ...
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (1.30) 2m 5f
They’re off and running in the opener at the first time of asking and Seddon is making the running ahead of Valdieu. Beakstown is next, followed by Dunvegan, Champ and Sam’s Profile. Seddon makes the running and there’s a little under a circuit to go ...
The stress of the job: On ITV’s coverage of this afternoon’s racing, the camera’s have just paid a visit to the weigh room, where Nico de Boinville, who rides Bright Forecast in the first and Altior in the big one, is fast asleep curled up on the floor using his kit bag as a pillow. Here’s hoping somebody wakes him up in the next 10 minutes.
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (1.30) betting
- Champ – 4/1
- Battleoverdoyen – 9/2
- Brewinupastorm – 8/1
- City Island – 8/1
- Easy Game – 8/1
- Sam’s Profile – 12/1
- Beakstown – 16/1
- Galvin – 16/1
- Bright Forecast – 25/1
- Jarveys Plate – 28/1
- Castlebawn West – 28/1
- Dunvegan – 40/1
- Seddon – 50/1
- Ask Dillon – 50/1
- Valdieu – 80/1
- Notebook – 66/1
- View the market movers with Oddschecker
Updated
Market moves
1:30
- 2x £5000ew Battleoverdoyen
- Sams Profile: 8/1 from 11
2:50
- Killultagh Vic: 10/1 from 14/1
3:30
- Politologue popular but remains 25/1
4.10
- Amazing Comedy: 22/1 from 33/1
4:50
- Star Max: 12/1 from 14/1
5:30
- Ask For Glory: 7/1 from 9/1
Preview: Ballymore Novice Hurdle (1.30pm)
Considering how good Nicky Henderson is with novice hurdlers, it’s perhaps surprising that he has only been able to win this race once, with Simonsig. He tries to double that tally with Champ, the winner of his last four. He already has a Grade One to his name, having won the Challow, though that does not look like strong form.
Battleoverdoyen represents Gordon Elliott in the race the trainer won last year with Samcro. This one pounded his way to a Grade One win in Naas in January, looking like a future chaser. This will be a lot softer than he has so far encountered. City Island is unusual in having won two maiden hurdles; he was disqualified the first time for testing positive for arsenic, a trace element in a feed supplement which surely cannot have enhanced his performance. He has looked very useful so far, though this is a big step up in class.
Easy Game represents the Walsh/Mullins team that won yesterday’s novice hurdle and his odds have been shortening in recent days. He showed toughness to score at Navan in December when last seen. Brewin’upastorm may well have won here last time, but for falling at the last. His stable supplied the second and the third at big prices in yesterday’s first race.
The eyes have it: ITV reported improved viewing figures for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival, reports Chris Cook. Tuesday’s average audience was 982,000, compared to 766,000 last year, while the peak was 1.3m during the Champion Hurdle, compared to 1.1m a year ago.
Meanwhile in the world of Flat racing: The Racing Post have reported that Godolphin’s highly regarded 2,000 Guineas hope Quorto will miss the Newmarket Classic after “suffering a setback” in training in Dubai. The unbeaten Charlie Appleby-trained had been 8-1 second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, but will now be sidelined until at least the second half of the season.
Day one of Cheltenham was certainly packed full of action, here's what to expect on Ladies Day 💃 pic.twitter.com/xoyt2xmVGQ
— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) March 13, 2019
Preview: Champion Bumper (5.30)
Extraordinarily, Willie Mullins is trying to win this race for the 10th time, having bagged last year’s running with the strong-finishing Relegate. He’s got such a long history in this race that he actually rode his first winner in it, back in 1996. Sometimes he turns up mob-handed for this race,
which doesn’t always end well, but he has won it four times with his only runner in that year’s contest and aims to turn that trick again, with Blue Sari, who won his only start handily. But he’s a four-year-old and only Cue Card has won for that age group in the past 20 years.
Envoi Allen has progressed in three bumpers for Gordon Elliott, while Meticulous, who chased him home last time, is also prominent in the betting. Abracadabras was putting up a fine effort behind Envoi Allen when ducking out through a rail last month. If he can improve on that first run for four months, he could get involved.
Preview: Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle (4.50)
A really tricky event, this, being a handicap for four-year-olds, some of whom have only raced three times. Band Of Outlaws looks highly progressive and is a worthy favourite, albeit at a short price. Lethal Steps was a quality animal on the Flat and might have got in here on a nice rating.
Ciel De Neige is the type of horses that adds to the confusion here, being winless in three in France but now racing for Willie Mullins and likely to step forward on that. Fox Pro has been with the Nick and Jane Williams team throughout but has raced only in France so far. The one that catches my eye at big odds is Our Power, who goes well on soft and seems to be improving nicely for Alan King.
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Preview: Cross Country Chase (4.10)
Tiger Roll, trying to win this for the second year in a row, is perhaps the most likeable horse running at this Festival, being a tough, durable little tyke who has somehow won a Grand National and three different races at this meeting before he turned nine. It’s a bit of a worry that he seems to be drifting in the betting but then he was allowed to start at 25-1 in his prep-race and he won that.
Auvergnat has 17 lengths to make up on Tiger Roll from last year but the fitting of blinkers helped him win a valuable handicap chase over Christmas and could help him once more. Josie’s Orders has won four times around this idiosyncratic circuit, including a handicap in November, and another big effort would hardly surprise.
France’s Urgent De Gregaine has been consistently good in three runs here and was only two lengths behind Tiger Roll a year ago.
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Preview: Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30)
It’s deja vu all over again, as Altior is sure to start a short price with Min as his main rival, just like when they were first and second a year ago. Seven lengths separated them that day and it could be a similar outcome here. Saint Calvados could set a strong pace in the first-time cheekpieces.
Politologue is really good when things fall right but the Festival has not shown him to best effect in previous years. Sceau Royal could do with the ground drying out. God’s Own is pretty senior for this at the age of 11 but was third last year and has continued to run to a high level this winter.
Preview: Coral Cup (2.50pm)
The six runners fielded by Willie Mullins must be the place to start here, especially since Uradel is a strong favourite. Beaten just a neck in the Cesarewitch in October, he finished well into fifth at Leopardstown last month and this step up in trip should help, though he seems a short price for what he has done over obstacles.
In the same colours and at four times the odds, Mullins also has Bleu Berry, who won this last year. He has won nothing since but has still looked talented at times and this is his first chance in a handicap since. At the top of the weights, Mullins also has Wicklow Brave, last seen chasing home Espoir D’Allen at Naas in January, which looks pretty good form in light of the winner’s Champion Hurdle success yesterday.
Wicklow Brave won a shorter handicap hurdle at the Festival four years ago. Brio Conti won well at Ascot but possibly could have done without the rain. Cracking Smart represents Gordon Elliott, who did so well in the handicaps last year, and this one is making his handicap debut from a fair rating. Dancing On My Own is an unexposed runner for Henry De Bromhead and should improve for the step up in distance.
Preview: RSA Novice Chase (2.10)
If Gordon Elliott is still winnerless by this point, surely Delta Work can get him over the line, being a really classy chaser in the making. He won a handicap hurdle at the last Festival. The weather has come right for Santini and there will be much less emphasis on speed than when he was third at Kempton over Christmas. His third in last year’s Albert Bartlett was a decent first outing at the Festival and he is hopefully over the soreness he suffered in a foot last week.
Topofthegame has yet to win over fences but his two second places this term represent quality form and he was just pipped in a handicap hurdle here last year. On The Blind Side worked rather better than Santini in a racecourse gallop recently but can take a while to warm up in his races.
Preview: Ballymore Novice Hurdle (1.30)
Considering how good Nicky Henderson is with novice hurdlers, it’s perhaps surprising that he has only been able to win this race once, with Simonsig. He tries to double that tally with Champ, the winner of his last four. He already has a Grade One to his name, having won the Challow, though that does not look like strong form.
Battleoverdoyen represents Gordon Elliott in the race the trainer won last year with Samcro. This one pounded his way to a Grade One win in Naas in January, looking like a future chaser. This will be a lot softer than he has so far encountered. City Island is unusual in having won two maiden hurdles; he was disqualified the first time for testing positive for arsenic, a trace element in a feed supplement which surely cannot have enhanced his performance. He has looked very useful so far, though this is a big step up in class.
Easy Game represents the Walsh/Mullins team that won yesterday’s novice hurdle and his odds have been shortening in recent days. He showed toughness to score at Navan in December when last seen. Brewin’upastorm may well have won here last time, but for falling at the last. His stable supplied the second and the third at big prices in yesterday’s first race.
Top jockeys after Day One
- Paul Townend 1
- Rachael Blackmore 1
- Jamie Codd 1
- Jeremiah McGrath 1
- Harry Skelton 1
- Mark Walsh 1
- Ruby Walsh 1
The honours were evenly shared in the weighing room, though Paul Townend had an excellent day, having also finished second on Melon and Stormy Ireland. Rachael Blackmore got her first Festival win by an absolute barrowload, while Jerry McGrath was enjoying a second success, seven years after his first.
Top jockey betting: Ruby Walsh (11-4), Davy Russell (6-1), Paul Townend (6-1), Barry Geraghty (8-1), Rachael Blackmore (10-1), Mark Walsh (12-1), Jack Kennedy (14-1), Nico de Boinville (14-1), Harry Cobden, Harry Skelton (20-1).
Top trainers after Day One
- Willie Mullins 2 wins
- Nicky Henderson 1
- Henry De Bromhead 1
- Gavin Cromwell 1
- Ben Pauling 1
- Dan Skelton 1
Willie Mullins had a rollercoaster of a day, winning the first two before seeing Sharjah brought down while Laurina was unplaced in the Champion Hurdle and Benie Des Dieux fell at the last with the Mares’ Hurdle at her mercy. To make matters worse, poor Ballyward suffered a fatal injury in the last. No one will feel sorry for Mullins but it must be hard to cope with all of that packed into a few hours.
It was great to see the very likeable Gavin Cromwell get his biggest moment yet in the Champion Hurdle, while Ben Pauling and Dan Skelton continue to show that they lead the next generation of jumps trainers trying to break through at the top level. The Brits are coming off second best so far at this Festival but Nicky Henderson always finds a rabbit in a hat somewhere.
Henry De Bromhead has now had a winner at each of the last three Festivals. Gordon Elliott went 0/11 on Day One and will be worried, even though he was also blanked on the first day last year before ending the week as top trainer. Apple’s Jade flopped without evident explanation, Hardline never got into it and none of his runners finished within 11 lengths of a winner.
Top trainer betting: Willie Mullins (10-11), Nicky Henderson (5-2), Gordon Elliott (11-4), Paul Nicholls (16-1), Henry De Bromhead (20-1), Joseph O’Brien (33-1), Dan Skelton (50-1), Colin Tizzard (66-1).
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Our racing correspondent sets the scene
Relief after Wednesday’s card at the Festival got the go ahead at around 7am this morning has already been replaced by anticipation as Cheltenham prepares to welcome Altior, the best two-mile chaser in training, as he attempts to join the select band of horses to have won at four consecutive Cheltenham Festivals.
The all-time record of six straight Festival wins is held by Willie Mullins’s mare Quevega, who was responsible for almost 10% of the trainer’s record 61 wins at the meeting prior to his double on Tuesday. She is unlikely to relinquish sole ownership any time soon, but Altior will join legends like Arkle, Istabraq, Sir Ken, Persian War and Willie Wumpkins – three of whose wins were in a handicap – if he can justify his status as odds-on favourite this afternoon.
The punters could certainly do with a result after a series of unexpected outcomes on the opening day, when one on-course punter’s £2 bet into the Placepot returned £180,000.
Tiger Roll, last season’s Grand National winner and another horse who is going for his fourth win at the Festival, will also have many supporters when he lines up for the Cross-Country Chase, but the remainder of the card looks as daunting as it should.
There will also be an earnest hope that none of today’s races have a similar aftermath to yesterday’s National Hunt Chase, in which one horse died, only four of the 18 starters completed, eight fell and three of the amateur riders received bans for continuing in the race “when it appeared to be contrary to the horse’s welfare”.
The action gets underway at 1.30 with the Ballymore Novice Hurdle where there is the prospect of a British-Irish head-to-head between Champ and Battleoverdoyen, with the home team looking to level things up after going down 4-3 on the opening day. Willie Mullins, who was well backed to finish the week as top trainer before yesterday’s card, is now odds-on at 10-11 after winning the first two races on Tuesday, but rivals Nicky Henderson, who trains Altior and Champ, and Gordon Elliott (Battleoverdoyen, Delta Work in the RSA and Tiger Roll) both have strong hands to play today.
The going at Cheltenham is soft on both the hurdles and chase courses and soft, heavy in places on the cross-country.
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Today's races and our tips
- 1.30 Ballymore Novice Hurdle - City Island 9-1
- 2.10 RSA Chase – Delta Work (nap) 5-2
- 2.50 Coral Cup – Bleu Berry (nb) 25-1
- 3.30 Queen Mother Champion Chase – Altior 4-9
- 4.10 Cross-country Chase – Tiger Roll 11-8
- 4.50 Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle – Our Power 28-1
- 5.30 Champion Bumper – Envoi Allen 4-1
Which would be another five winners for Ireland, surprising nobody. I’d rather not go with two short-priced favourites on the same day but I really do struggle to see past Altior and Tiger Roll and the latter is a bigger price than I expected. The first two races are where my main betting interest will be, however. I find Delta Work very easy to admire.
One for the notebook: One of the great joys of the Festival is spotting the losers, unlucky or otherwise, who will be picking up prizes in the coming weeks. Give Me A Copper was strongly fancied for the Ultima Handicap Chase on Tuesday and was trainer Paul Nicholls’ best bet at a Betfair preview night I went to at the Emirates. The horse fell yesterday but his trainer is now eyeing up the Scottish Grand National and the gelding is definitely one for the short-list for that race.
Give me a Copper is fine this morning after his tumble . Aim for Scottish GN on better ground .
— Paul Nicholls (@PFNicholls) March 13, 2019
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Betfair tipping competition
Congratulations to 24skidoo, who had four winners on day one, viz: Duc De Genievres (5-1), Beware The Bear (10-1), A Plus Tard (5-1) and Le Breuil (14-1) for a final score of +31. That was just enough to hold off Gourin56, whose three winners got him to +30. 24skidoo, we’ll be in touch by email to arrange your prize.
You could win a £100 account credit from Betfair by proving your tipping prowess on today’s races. All you have to do is give us your selections for all of today’s races at Cheltenham. As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional stakes of £1 at starting price on each tip. Non-runners count as losers.
Please post all your tips in a single posting, using the comment facility below, before the first race at 1.30pm. There are seven races at Cheltenham today and you must post a single selection for each race. Our usual terms and conditions, which you can read here, will apply, except that this will be a strictly one-day thing. If we get a tie after all the races have been run, the winner will be the one who posted their tips earliest out of those with the highest score. If an entrant has to repost their selections because of a non-runner, we will use the time of their later posting for tiebreak purposes.
If you don’t win today, don’t despair. We are running an identical competition on each day of the Festival.
Racing gets green light after inspection
Wednesday’s card at the Cheltenham Festival will go ahead as planned after the threat that the course would be hit by winds at speeds of up to 50mph receded this morning.
An inspection had been planned for the course at 8am but the improving situation allowed Simon Claisse, the clerk of the course, to give the go-ahead about an hour earlier.
“The strength of the winds has now moderated,” the course said in a statement on Twitter, “allowing Simon Claisse to give the green light early in order to provide certainty to racegoers and participants before many journeys begin. We will continue to monitor the weather forecast moving forward.”
RACING GOES AHEAD TODAY.#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/wfiw2xBa9Z
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 13, 2019
Wednesday’s weather worries came 11 years after similar conditions caused the cancellation of racing on the second day of the meeting. The Champion Chase and other high-profile races were instead run later in the week, added to the Thursday and Friday cards.
The feature event on Wednesday’s seven-race card is the Queen Mother Champion Chase at 3.30, in which Altior, last year’s winner, is expected to start at odds-on to complete a double.
