Altior and Samcro lived up to their reputations on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, as both of the day's big favourites claimed victory in their respective races.

Samcro, unbeaten prior to the festival, lived up to the hype and cruised past Black Op to land victory in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Presenting Percy won the RSA Novices Chase under Davy Russell and has been installed as favourite for next year's Gold Cup already. However, Ruby Walsh fell from Al Boum Photo during that race, leading to the winning-most jockey in Festival history being stood down for the rest of the day.

Bleu Berry won the Coral Cup at 20-1, before Altior soared to Champions Chase success, holding off the threat of Min as Douvan fell - having looked as though he would be in contention.

Another stunning showing from Samcro (
Image:
PA)
Altior heads past Min on his way to victory (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

With victories in the Triumoh Hurdle and National Hunt Chase under his belt in recent years, Tiger Roll claimed his third win at the Festival in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.

Veneer Of Charm then provided Gordon Elliott with a third winner on the second afternoon of the Cheltenham Festival as he survived a late wobble to win the Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

With the victories of Samcro and Tiger Roll already in the bag, the pressure was off Elliott but this 33-1 winner was harder to find than those two.

And there was another big-money winner in the day's finale, with Katy Walsh riding 25-1 shot Relegate to victory in the Champion Bumper.

Another impressive display from Tiger Roll (
Image:
REUTERS)

Full Results

1.30pm: Novices Hurdle

1. Samcro 8/11f , 2. Black Op 8/1, 3. Next Destination 4/1

2.10pm: RSA Chase

1. Presenting Percy 5/2f, 2. Monalee 10/3, 3. Elegant Escape 9/1

2.50pm: Coral Cup Handicap

1. Bleu Berry 20/1, 2. Topofthegame 9/1, 3. Barra 16/1, 4. William Henry 8/1jf

3.30pm: Queen Mother Champion Chase

1. Altior 1/1f, 2. Min 5/2, 3. God's Own 40/1

4.10pm: Cross Country Chase

1. Tiger Roll 7/1, Urgente De Gregaine 12/1, 3. The Last Samurai 11/4f

4.50pm: Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle

1. Veneer Of Charm (IRE)33/1, 2. Style De Garde (FR)12/1, 3. Nube Negra (SPA)15/2f, 4. Padleyourowncanoe 33/1

5.30pm: Champion Bumper

1. Relegate 25/1, 2. Carefully Selected 6/1, 3. Tornado Flyer 14/1

Tips for Thursday

So that’s a wrap for Wednesday then.

Now, we look ahead to tomorrow.

Another stellar day in store.

All the best tips and preview is right here

Enjoy...and we’lll see you tomorrow!

Here’s a nice picture of Altior :)

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Getty Images Europe)

A little more on Katie Walsh

The younger sister of Ruby Walsh has carved out a hugely successful amateur career, which includes two wins on the greatest stage.

She won the 2010 National Hunt Chase on Poker De Sivola and struck again two days later on long-time ally Thousand Stars.

Now, she has claimed a third win, with Relegate.

Well done to her.

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Willie Mullins dominant!

Wowsers!

Willie Mullins with a Champion Bumper 1-2-3.

Relegate wins the Champion Bumper

Brilliant run through from 25-1 shot Relegate!

Terrific late charge and the mare takes it.

Katy Walsh for Willie Mullins.

Was stuck in the middle of the pack for much of the race, but the moment the opportunity presented itself, Relegate went for it.

She’d not come down the hill well at all initially.

Dasel Drasher is travelling well.

Know the Score comes through to challenge and now Know The Score joins the fray at the very front.

Acey Milan and Carefully Selected are battling for first and second still.

Carefully Selected is setting the early pace.

Acey Milan is in second, trying to keep up with him.

The Flying Sofa is in third about half way round.

The Champion Bumper is underway!

The final race of the day at the Festival then.

The Champion Bumper.

Let’s roll...

5.30 Weatherbys Champion Bumper - Newsboy's picks

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3

  1. ACEY MILAN
  2. DIDTHEYLEAVEUOUTTO
  3. CAREFULLY SELECTED

ACEY MILAN has already achieved a high level of form in bumpers - with the promise of more to come.

After a debut second at Exeter in October, Anthony Honeyball’s four-year-old son of Milan is unbeaten in three starts, beginning the sequence with a nine-length margin at Wincanton in December.

Successful in Listed company on Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day card, Acey Milan again faced Listed-race opposition at Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle undercard last month.

And he put up an impressive performance, travelling strongly before motoring 11 lengths clear of Woulduadamandeveit, with previous winner Nestor Park back in fifth.

That form is solid - the third and fourth horses also went into the race on the back of victories - and Acey Milan looks to have a successful career in front of him.

Willie Mullins’ contenders, fancied and otherwise, need considering - so that brings in Blackbow, Carefully Selected, Tornado Flyer, Colreevy and Relegate - while Didtheyleaveuoutto has gained taking triumphs at Lingfield Park and Ascot, and also has plenty more to offer.

The top 4

Veneer of Charm then, the 33-1 shot emerged victorious.

1. Veneer Of Charm (IRE)33/1

2. Style De Garde (FR)12/1,

3. Nube Negra (SPA)15/2f

4. Padleyourowncanoe 33/1

VENEER OF CHARM WINS!

It’s Veneer of Charm who takes victory!

Well where did he come from.

Nube Negra looked to be in the box seat - he was travelling brilliantly.

But the favourite has to make do with third.

Style De Garde, 12-1, finishes second.

But Veneer of Charm, at 33-1, makes it an afternoon treble for Gordon Elliott.

Terrific from him.

Eureu Du Boulay is running well and leads from King of May.

Turning Gold is trying to get between them but is struggling.

Mitchouka was hampered by the fall and he’s done.

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle is underway!

We’re underway in the 2miler.

Night Destroyer started well...but FALLS!

Well!

4.50 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle - Newsboy's picks

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3

  1. NUBE NEGRA
  2. THE KING OF MAY
  3. ESPRIT DE SOMOZA

NUBE NEGRA has the right profile for the juvenile handicap hurdle.

The four-year-old was of no great shakes when trained on the Flat in Spain - yes, Spain - but he’s proved a different proposition entirely since joining Dan Skelton for a career over hurdles.

Nube Negra, whose name is Spanish for ‘black cloud’, opened his account with the first time of asking with a nine-length margin at Market Rasen.

My selection then took on Triumph Hurdle favourite Apple’s Shakira at Cheltenham’s International fixture in December, and emerged with plenty of credit with a three-and-a-half-length second.

But Harry Skelton’s mount was back in the winner’s enclosure at Doncaster at the end of January, beating Present From Dubai by eight lengths.

Presenting Percy now Gold Cup favourite for 2019

Presenting Percy is the 6-1 favourite for the 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup after running away with the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase.
Davy Russell oozed confidence on last year’s Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle winner, and the Pat Kelly-trained seven-year-old, sent off the 5-2 favourite, sprinted up the hill to beat Monalee by seven lengths.
“I have underestimated this horse all along,” admitted the winning jockey. “He was unimpressive to me, but by God he’s some horse.
“Pat Kelly - what a master. Nobody recognises the small man, yet he has gone and broke through.
“He is a brilliant trainer.”

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Tiger Roll's Grand National odds cut

Tiger Roll has been cut from a massive 50/1 outside shot into just 16/1, following his win in the Cross County Chase at Cheltenham.

Following the race at the Festival, the eight-year-old’s odds have been slashed to win the biggest individual race of the season.

Since the win in the Cross Country, a massive 96% of all bets on the Aintree featured race have been placed on the Gigginstown House Stud.

Trained by Gordon Elliot, Tiger Roll looked in a promising position for the majority of the race, until peeling off and taking the spoils.

Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek said:

“Tiger Roll was very impressive in winning Cross Country Chase.

“Given how powerfully he travelled and how well he jumped - it’s no shock that he is proving popular in the big one at Aintree next month.

Check out the odds for the Grand National here

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Image:
REUTERS)

TIGER ROLL WINS

Tiger Roll went off at 7/1 and wins his third Festival race.

1. Tiger Roll

2. Urgente De Gregaine

3. The Last Samurai

Off they go in the Cross Country Chase

The Last Samuri off as favourite.

Newboy's 4.10 Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase) tips

THE LAST SAMURI has plenty going for him in his bid to make his cross-country debut a winning one.

Kim Bailey’s 10-year-old is best remembered for his second to Rule The World in the 2016 Grand National - but there are plenty of other high spots on his CV.

Before going to Aintree, the chestnut had won Doncaster’s valuable Grimthorpe Handicap Chase by 10 lengths off a rating of 149.

And he’s been close to his best this winter, following a comeback second over hurdles at Kempton Park in November with a second to Blaklion in the Becher Chase over the National fences the following month.

After a fourth to Gold Cup hope Definitly Red in Cheltenham’s Cotswold Chase in January, The Last Samuri still has a rating of 159.

That makes him the highest-rated horse on show, and recent match practice over the course will have helped him get his eye in.

Cause Of Causes and Tiger Roll, with five Festival successes between them, demand respect, along with stablemate Bless The Wings.

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Image:
Getty Images Europe)

Champions Chase losing jockeys

Altior shows his class once more to hold off Min threat and win the Champion Chase

Altior once more showed his class to win the Champion Chase in the featured race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding came through the field to hold off the challenge from Min on Tuesday.

Under Nico de Boinville once more, last year’s Arkle winner produced a magnificent finish to race clear and claim another victory, justifying why he was odds on with bookmakers.

That made it 13 successive wins for Altior, with God’s Own, a 40-1 shot finishing third.

READ MORE HERE


Altior win in pics

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Image:
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ALTIOR WINS

He was kept honest by Min and the rest of the pack but Altior comes home by a length.

1. Altior

2. Min

3. God’s Own

We're off in the Queen Mother Champion Chase

Altior vs Min?

Altior goes off as evens favourite.

Douvan

NEWSBOY’S 1-2-3 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase

  1. ALTIOR
  2. MIN
  3. CHARBEL

Newsboy's 3.30 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

ALTIOR has been given the all-clear after an injury scare on Monday - and should successfully defend his unbeaten record over hurdles and fences.

Nicky Henderson revealed his stable star to be suffering from lameness, caused by a foot infection - but Altior demonstrated his powers of recovery with a canter on the Lambourn gallops yesterday morning.

If anywhere near his best, the brilliant eight-year-old will take some stopping in his quest for a third Cheltenham Festival triumph after the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2017 and the Arkle Trophy 12 months ago.

After five straight wins over hurdles two seasons ago, Nico de Boinville’s mount racked up a six-strong fences over the larger obstacles last term.

His return to the fray this winter was delayed by a breathing issue - Altior made a noise when being prepared for the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park in December.

But, having gone under the knife, the gelded son of High Chaparral showed his customary brilliance in dispatching Politologue, the horse who won the Tingle Creek in his absence, by four lengths.

Although reckoned by his trainer to be happier on better ground, Altior enjoys a class edge over his opponents and should justify his place at the head of the market.

It’s of huge interest that Douvan, who unexpectedly had his colours lowered when the 2-9 favourite for the Champion Chase 12 months ago, returns for his first outing since.

The bush telegraph from Willie Mullins’ Closutton yard is that the eight-year-old, announced as finished for the season in December but chosen by Ruby Walsh in preference to Min, is firing again.

But the latter’s form this winter entitles him to a medal, while Charbel, in front when coming down in Altior’s Arkle, and three-time Grade 1 winner God’s Own make the most of appeal of the outsiders.

Nico de Boinville and Altior after winning The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race (
Image:
Hugh Routledge/REX)

Ruby Walsh fall in pics

Walsh lies prone on the ground after falling (
Image:
ROWAN GRIFFITHS)

BLEU BERRY WINS!

20/1 shot Bleu Berry wins a well contested Coral Cup.

1. Bleu Berry

2. Topofthegame

3. Barra

4. William Henry

We're off in the Coral Cup

Max Dynamite goes off as joint favourite with William Henry.

Newsboy's 1-2-3 for 2.50 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle

  1. TOPOFTHEGAME
  2. MAX DYNAMITE
  3. ROYAL VACATION