Irish maestro Willie Mullins runs a duo of talented two-mile chasers today in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (4 p.m.), the highlight of day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
However, both Majborough and Il Etait Temps have displayed jumping frailties and so neither appeals at their respective odds. The former will almost certainly win if he jumps as well as he did last time out when landing the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown, but that is not guaranteed.
I was tempted to put up L’Eau du Sud for the Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton trainer/jockey combination but odds of no better than 11-2 against two such formidable rivals are on the skinny side.
Instead, I will put up one of the outsiders in the field, the consistent SAINT SEGAL. He has a lot to find on official ratings but he has won three and been runner-up three times in his six starts this season and odds of 8-1 for a place seem generous given the jumping weaknesses of several of his rivals.
Take the 40-1 Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) offered by bet365, paying three places. If those at the head of the market jump impeccably, then this bet will probably be lost some distance from the wining post but at the price I can accept that.
In the opening race on today’s card, the Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle (1.20 p.m.), the Paul Nicholls-trained No Drama This End looks certain to go off favourite but he has a host of talented horses, many of them Irish trained, to beat.
Jack Kennedy, Gordon Elliott’s stable jockey, has opted to ride Ballyfad over stablemate Skylight Hussle but the form of Ballyfad’s second to Talk The Talk at Leopardstown last month took a knock in the first race at Cheltenham yesterday. So this is a no-bet race for me.
I am a great fan of Irish handler’s Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio but sadly I tipped him long ago for yesterday’s Singer Arkle Novices’ Chase, not today’s Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (2 p.m). I fear today’s trip of three miles and one furlong may stretch Romeo Coolio’s stamina.
The best story in the race would be a victory for Oscars Brother, whose young Irish trainer Conor King has only two racehorses at his yard in Co Tipperary. Oscars Brother, who will be ridden by the handler’s brother Daniel, is an improving young chaser and he definitely has a winning chance.
My preference at the prices though is for the Jamie Snowden-trained WENDIGO, who would not have been suited by the right-handed track or the quick ground when only third in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on Boxing Day.
Cheltenham’s left-handed, undulating track and the slightly slower ground will be in his favour today. Back him 1 point each way at 9-1 BOG with bet365, Ladbrokes BOG, paying four places.
However, I can’t resist also backing SALVER at a huge price in the same race for the Gary and Josh Moore father and son training team. This six-year-old gelding would definitely prefer the ground much softer and his jumping is not always his forte. However, he is a hugely talented horse at his best and his price insults his ability. Back him 1 point each way at 50-1 BOG with Betfred, paying four places.
I am one of the minority of punters who really likes the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.20 pm.) as a unique contest and, as usual, Gordon Elliott is firing plenty of bullets at the race.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained Stumptown is understandably well fancied to win this for a second successive year but he is 5 lbs higher in the ratings today than he was 12 months ago.
Better value could be offered by Stumptown’s stablemate VANILLIER, who would have gone close to winning this a year ago had his jockey not taken the wrong course. He runs off a 2 lbs lower mark today than a year ago so he is well handicapped on his best form.
Sean Flanigan is again in the saddle today and hopefully he will have studied a map of the course more closely than he did a year ago. Vanillier is now 11-years-old and throws in some poor runs along the good ones but back him 1 point each way at 9-1 with Unibet, paying four places.
The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (4.40 p.m.) is highly-competitive contest and few of the 20 runners can be ruled out with confidence.
My preference is for the Irish-trained BREAK MY SOUL, who is well handicapped as a chaser on his best hurdles form. He looks to have been targeted at this race by his handler Ian Patrick Donoghue so back him 1 point each way with bet365 or BetVictor at 14-1 BOG and paying five places.
The 24-runner BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (2.40 p.m) and the 22-runner Weatherbys Champion Bumper (5.20 p.m.) look like bookies’ benefit races to me so I will leave them alone.
Hands up…yesterday was a bit of a disaster between the non runners, the horse that threw away his race at the last hurdle, the faller and the (very) reluctant starter but that’s the Cheltenham Festival for you. Finding big-priced winners is never easy but, hopefully, day 2 will bring better fortune.
Pending:
1 point each way Wendigo at 9-1 BOG for the Brown Advisory Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Salver at 50-1 BOG for the Brown Advisory Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Vanillier at 9-1 for the Cross Country, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Saint Segal at 40-1 BOG for Champion Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Break My Soul at 14-1 BOG for the Grand Annual, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places.
1 point each way Derryhassen Paddy at 25-1 for the Brown Advisory Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Non Runner.
1 point each way La Conquiere at 16-1 for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Helnwein at 33-1 NRNB for the County Hurdle, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Haiti Couleurs at 14-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places.
1 point each way Resplendent Grey at 50-1 for the Grand National, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point
Yesterday: – 14.3 points
1 point each way Sober Glory for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 12-1 NRNB, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. 2nd. + 1.4 points.
1 point each way Romeo Coolio at 16-1 for the Arkle Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
1 point each way Mambonumberfive at 20-1 for the Arkle Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
1 point each way Ammes at 9-1 BOG in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Konfusion at 20-1 for the Ultima Chase, paying ¼ odds, 4 places. Fell. – 2 points.
1 point each way Golden Ace at 16-1 for the Champion Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Tutti Quanti at 20-1 NRNB for the Champion Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Iceberg Theory at 13-2 BOG for the NH Novices’ Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. 5th. + 0.3 points.
1 point each way Grand Geste at 16-1 BOG for the NH Novices’ Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Laurens Bay at 25-1 for the NH Novices’ Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Non Runner. – 2 points.
2025-26 jumps season: running total – 18.785 points
2025 flat season: + 84.12 points on all tips.
2024-5 jumps season: – 47.61 points on all tips.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jumps season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jumps season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
Total for six full seasons of tipping: + 126 points
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