The Cheltenham Festival continued on day two with the Greatest Show on Turf in what was a thrilling afternoon of action in the rain.
Wednesday’s feature race was the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, where the Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin failed to deliver and was pulled up as Energumene gave Willie Mullins a first victory in the race.
Two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll fell short in his search for record-equaling sixth Cheltenham victory in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. It was a sensational run in unfavourable conditions to end a superb career, but Tiger Roll was run down by Delta Work.
Earlier in the day, the dominant Sir Gerhard showed why he was a big favourite to win the opening Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and give Mullins an 80th Cheltenham victory, while L’Homme Presse was superb in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Commander Of Fleet got Gordon Elliott his first winner of the week as the trainer looks to make the Cheltenham headlines again for the right reasons, and Global Citizen took the Grand Annual Chase.
Facile Vega and American Mike were the top at the top of the market going into the Wetherbys Champion Bumper and so it proved in the final race of the day, but it was Facile Vega who romped home to give Mullins yet another win in the race.
Day two race card
1:30pm - Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
1 Sir Gerhard | 2 Three Stripe Life | 3 Whatdeawant
2:10pm - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
1 L’Homme Presse | 2 Ahoy Senor | 3 Gaillard Du Mesnil
2:50pm - Coral Cup Hurdle
1 Commander Of Fleet | 2 Fastorslow | 3 Ashdale Bob | 4 Camprond
3:30pm - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
1 Energumene | 2 Funambule Sivola| 3 Envoi Allen
4:10pm - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
1 Delta Work | 2 Tiger Roll | 3 Plan Of Attack
4:50pm -Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
1 Global Citizen | 2 Andy Dufresne | 3 Frereo Banbou| 4 Editeur Du Gite
5:30pm - Wetherbys Champion Bumper
1 Facile Vega | 2 American Mike | 3 James’s Gate| 4 Seabank Bistro
