Let’s close out with the main man, Willie Mullins, as he reaches 100 Cheltenham winners. Typically understated and yet focused and still wanting more.
“I thought my lifetime achievement was when I had a winner here in Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle back in 1995 and who ever dreamt any trainer, never mind me, could do it .
“The team of owners we have help and I can’t train winners without a team of owners who have horses and then the team from my wife Jackie, to David Casey, Patrick, Ruby [Walsh], all our head people, it’s huge for them. I think they are probably going to enjoy it more than I will. It’s extraordinary stuff.”
“For Patrick to do it makes it very special and to do it for one of my biggest owners [Simon Munir and Isaac Souede]. The team of owners we have make the job what it is, I can’t do it without them. They all praise each other when they have a winner and share in each other’s disappointment. Without owners I wouldn’t be here, none of us would, it’s their sport.
“I was really pleased that Patrick was the one to do it because I wasn’t sure he was on the right one but he was spot on and I was wrong. I’m just delighted, I wouldn’t say emotional. When I started out I didn’t think anyone would ever train 100 Cheltenham winners and I certainly didn’t think it would be me. People were saying I should have done it last year!”
Updated
Barry Glendenning spent another day at the Cheltenham Festival, getting in the spirit of things, presumably dressed in second-hand vintage, sustainable clothes, an ensemble of “cheap spats, 1920s high-rise trousers, lavender dress shirts and double-breasted topcoats with peaked lapels plundered from a vintage bargain bin”.
He’ll be back for more on Thursday and so shall we.
Greg Wood’s tips for Thursday are here.
St Patrick’s Thursday’s race schedule
1.30 - Turners Novices’ Chase, 2m 4f
2.10 - Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle), 3m
2.50 - Ryanair Steeple Chase, 2m 4 1/2f
3.30 - Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, 3m
4.10 - TrustATrader Plate (Handicap Chase), 2m 4 1/2f
4.50 - Ryanair Mares Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 1f
5.30 - Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase, 3m 2f
Sportsmanlike from centurion Willie Mullins: “It’s a wonderful day, it’s fantastic. As much I enjoy what’s happening, I think of my colleague and fellow trainer Nicky Hendersonand what’s happened with his yard this week.
“That’s always a worry that we have in the two or three weeks coming up to Cheltenham, that something will come in and bite you from outside. As much as we’re enjoying it, I don’t know how he must be feeling. You want competition and it must be gutting for him. You’d like good opposition to have fun with because I’m sure he would have beaten us a few times this week.”
Mullins has 100 Cheltenham winners, Henderson has 73. There was a point that looked unassailable.
Updated
Patrick Mullins speaks to Racing TV: “I am very privileged to get the 100 for my dad, a special moment. When we lost the Gigginstown horses. In his early 60s he went out and got more owners, starting with Rich Ricci. Everything counts. He’s never standing still. It’s outside the box. Sometimes it can be man with the moon. Never fall out with people; Gigginstown, they’re back with us.”
Cheltenham 5.30 Champion Bumper result
1 Jasmin De Vaux (Mr P W Mullins) 9-2
2 Romeo Coolio (K M Donoghue) 18-1
3 Jalon D’oudairies (J W Kennedy) 3-1 Fav
19 ran
Also: 66-1 Sounds Victorius 4th
Non Runners: 5,6,10,18,22
CSF: £85.68
Tricast: £294.24
Updated
There were eight Mullins horses to choose from, and Patrick chose the one he wanted. He gets first dibs from his dad in the NHF races, and he’s landed the big one for his dad. Patrick looks absolutely delighted.
Updated
100th Cheltenham win for Willie Mullins, ridden by son Patrick
Off for the first time and Teeshan, the Nicholls horse, off in the lead in the old Paul Barber colours. Jasmin De Vaux, the PW Mullins horse, sits in the rear, held up. There’s ten lengths between them as they are led through the deep country and. they climb the hill, and start to head down. Teeshan leads. The Yellow Clay – fancied – is in there, too. Half-mile out and Teeshan is still out front but time for others to make moves…..before Jasmin De Vaux sees off Romeo Coolio to win and Patrick Mullins makes it 100 wins for his dad. That’s the Champion Bumper won, the race that helped make the Mullins name.
💯 100 Cheltenham Festival winners for Willie Mullins
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
Son Patrick guides Jasmin De Vaux to victory in the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper 🏆 pic.twitter.com/yV1fm72L00
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Unexpected Party trainer Dan Skelton on another handicap landed, speaking to the BBC: “It is remarkable really, I’m proud of the horses, they are running out of their skins. It is magic. Unexpected Party went very well all the way through but he really needed those last two jumps.”
Updated
Wednesday’s lucky last, where you bet at your peril or if you have an insider knowledge of a yard, in this case the Mullins yard.
5.30 Champion Bumper odds
Jalon Doudairies 7/2
Jasmin De Vaux 4/1
The Yellow Clay 7/1
You Oughta Know 9/1
Cantico 11/1
Fleur Au Fusil 12/1
Teeshan 14/1
Argento Boy 20/1
Romeo Coolio 20/1
Sixmilebridge 22/1
Cest Ta Chance 25/1
Bill Joyce 33/1
Quebecois 33/1
Royal Infantry 40/1
Sounds Victorius 80/1
Fishery Lane 100/1
Stavvy 100/1
Union Avenue 150/1
Dirty Den 200/1
Odds via Oddschecker
5.30 Market Movers via Oddspedia
Jalon Doudaires 5/1 into 3/1
Bill Choice 40/1 into 20/1
Updated
5.30 CHAMPION BUMPER PREVIEW
Some runnings of this race revolve around a short-priced favourite, generally from the Willie Mullins yard, while the betting for others is as wide-open as one of the meeting’s handicaps, and barring any late plunges, this year’s Bumper looks like one of the latter. Mullins has previously had winners at 25-1 (twice), 16-1, 14-1 and 12-1 among his record 13 successes in this race, so it would be unwise to discount any of his eight runners today completely, but Jasmin De Vaux, an easy winner of his only start at Naas in January, is likely to be the shortest member of the squad in the betting as Patrick Mullins, the trainer’s son and a three-time winner already, is holding the reins. Other likely types from the Mullins stable include You Oughta Know, Cantico – the mount of stable jockey, Paul Townend – and Fleur Au Fusil, with Townend’s sister, Jody, taking the ride, but Gordon Elliott is well represented too, with Jalon D’Oudairies, unbeaten in two, vying for favouritism with Jasmin De Vaux. He is joined in the field by The Yellow Clay, who is also interesting as he ran an eye-catching race behind Jeroboam Machin in a bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival. Jeroboam Machin would have been an obvious favourite for this had an injury not intervened, and The Yellow Clay – along with You Oughta Know, who was just ahead of him that day – is a live contender on that form.
SELECTION: THE YELLOW CLAY
Cheltenham 4.50 result
1 Unexpected Party (Harry Skelton) 12-1
2 Libberty Hunter (H Cobden) 6-1
3 Path D’oroux (K M Donoghue) 10-1
4 Sa Fureur (J W Kennedy) 4-1 Fav
16 ran
Non Runner: 1
That’s the two handicaps won by the Skelton brothers today. The Brits have won the three open handicaps so far. So that’s something.
Updated
Unexpected Party wins the Grand Annual Chase!
A disorderly start, a false one, in fact, and Robbie Supple calls them back. They get tangled up in the tape, and there may soon be a standing start. Robbie Supple most unhappy. They go quite shakily, Calico to the fore, Gemirande taking up an early pace. The ground looks heavy after two days of being bashed up on the Old Course. Gemirande and the fancied Unexpected Party continue to lead. Hardy Du Seuil is well at the back, while Maskada has hit the beam and is dropping back. With three to go, there’s plenty left involved. Unexpected Party takes them over the second last. And then the last, and he goes clear, the grey. It’s another Skelton winner, the handicap kings.
👏 Team Skelton at the double - Unexpected Party lands the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual @DSkeltonRacing | @harryskelton89 | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/9CE5W7t0eB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
Updated
The word from Sam Eaton at Oddschecker on that El Fabiolo bet is that “42% of all Cheltenham accas – over £10 stake – this week included El Fabiolo. Plus 70% of bets placed on the actual race were on El Fabiolo.”
Shades of Annie Power in 2015. The famous quadpot, coming down on Ruby Walsh.
Updated
4.50 Grand Annual Handicap Chase odds
Libberty Hunter 4/1
Madara 11/2
Saint Roi 15/2
Sa Fureur 15/2
Maskada 10/1
Hardy Du Seuil 11/1
Path Doroux 12/1
Unexpected Party 14/1
Solness 16/1
Harpers Brook 16/1
Triple Trade 25/1
Calico 25/1
The King Of Prs 28/1
Gemirande 40/1
The Folkes Tiara 40/1
Frere Darmes 50/1
4.50 Market Movers From Oddspedia
Unexpected Party – 14/1 into 10/1
4.50 GRAND ANNUAL HANDICAP CHASE
Willie Mullins could well have become the first trainer to saddle 100 Festival winners by the time Saint Roi goes to post for this, but he will still not have a handicap chase winner to his name after his runner in yesterday’s Ultima Handicap Chase could finish only third. Saint Roi has done most of his racing over fences at Graded level, and finished within two lengths of the winner in a Grade One at Aintree in April 2023, and suggested that his BHA mark of 152 might not be unduly harsh on his somewhat belated handicap debut off 151 at Fairyhouse in January. It is more than 30 years since the winner of this carried 11st 10lb or more, however, and runners with less than 11st tend to have the upper hand. That also counts against last year’s winner, Maskada, who has 11st 8lb, and to a lesser extent, Sophie Leech’s admirable Madara (11st 1lb) who served it up to the Irish with a win in a handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival last month. I’ve managed to pick out another “springer” here, as the lightly-raced Libberty Hunter, with Harry Cobden booked to ride, was as big as 7-1 yesterday. He posted a very useful time when winning here on New Year’s Day but the current odds of around 4-1 are not quite so enticing.
SELECTION: LIBBERTY HUNTER
That’s the big one done, two more to go, two more days to go. Here’s Greg’s tips for Thursday, including the Ryanair and the Stayers’
Willie Mullins, speaking to ITV Racing, after being denied his 100th: “Delighted for Henry and for Rachael. Gentleman De Mee ran a cracker so we are delighted. El Fabiolo was low over a couple of the fences and I was very concerned. Disappointing.”
He didn’t hang around long, so we await more news of El Fabiolo, though it seems Paul Townend knew he wasn’t going anywhere fast, and decided to preserve the horse’s welfare.
Updated
El Fabiolo hits the first, third and it was the fifth that brought him down. There doesn’t seem too much concern for his health from Willie Mullins or Ruby Walsh, Willie’s close associate. “You learn that at pony club,” he says, when showing Rachael Blackmore easing the Captain home to the Champion Chase. Shades of Politologue and Dodging Bullets winning the race, lesser-starred but classy horses winning it. Big Zeb too?
Updated
We await news of El Fabiolo, who landed heavily after missing one, stayed up but came to a halt. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. The bookmakers have had a champagne moment from that misfortune.
Rachael Blackmore, speaking to ITV Racing: “He travelled incredible and jumped really well. It is incredible. So pleased for his owner. He has been knocking on the door. It is incredible to win this, just incredible and so happy to do it on this horse. He always runs his race. He is enthusiastic.”
She’s the rider for the biggest, grandest occasions. Just remarkable.
Cheltenham 4.00 result
1 Captain Guinness (Rachael Blackmore) 17-2
2 Gentleman De Mee (M P Walsh) 16-1
3 Funambule Sivola (Charlie Deutsch) 100-1
6 ran
Also: 2-9 Fav El Fabiolo
Non Runners: 1,8
Updated
Rachael Blackmore and Captain Guinness win the Champion Chase!
Now we have a race, and who can win it? Edwardstone continues to take it out, four from the finish. Captain Guinness the nearest chaser. It seems between these two while Gentleman de Mee chases them. Captain Guinness goes clear of a faller in Edwardstone and Captain Guinness and Rachael Blackmore take it home! Another win for her and Henry de Bromhead.
A stunner in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase! 😲
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
An early mistake from El Fabiolo sees Captain Guinness and @rachaelblackmor take full advantage for @HenrydeBromhead #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/TG6gEt5VQg
Updated
El Fabiolo out of the Champion Chase!
From the start, Edwardstone, as expected, goes to the front. Elixir de Nuts sits off him. El Fabiolo sits back, menacingly, and Edwardstone strings them out…but El Fabiolo hits the fence, and comes to a halt. He’s pulled up.
The Champion Chase horses are at the start, and idling away of what will be a race from the gun. There’s no race like it for speed. It’s essentially a sprint over two miles, pedal to the metal. Do we have a horse like Sprinter Sacre or Masterminded in here? Over to El Fabiolo.
Paul Townend is a fine, fine jockey but him splitting the golden generation comes as a shock. Barry Geraghty – what an underrated genius he was in the saddle.
Paul Townend has now ridden more Cheltenham Festival winners than AP McCoy.
— HorseRacing.net (@HorseRacing_Net) March 13, 2024
Best in the biz. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/EODrBUJvr4
Potential bloodbath for the bookies if El Fabiolo comes in after Ballyburn and Fact To File landed the first two. Odds just over 2/1 this morning. The big three were landed on Tuesday. If there are any, er, Sexpots going, then it’s a bad day for the bookmakers. There’s still two days left to lose it all back to them.
4.00 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase odds
El Fabiolo 2/7
Edwardstone 7/1
Captain Guinness 12/1
Gentleman De Mee 22/1
Elixir De Nutz 33/1
Funambule Sivola 150/1
Best Each Way Terms: Top two places on the race
4.00 Market Movers from Oddspedia
El Fabiolo 1/2 into 1/4
Gentleman De Mee 25/1 into 16/1
4.00 QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE PREVIEW
This looks like a lap of honour for El Fabiolo after Nicky Henderson was forced to scratch Jonbon, the second-favourite, this morning, although Willie Mullins, his trainer, has seen hotpots beaten in this before, back in the days when it was the only significant gap on his Festival cv. Douvan’s failure at 2-9 in 2017 was particularly painful, but Mullins finally broke his duck with Energumene in 2022, who followed up 12 months later, and now bids for a hat-trick with last year’s Arkle Trophy winner. Edwardstone, also a previous winner of the Arkle, is his main rival according to the betting but he ran poorly in this last year on similar going and El Fabiolo looks as solid as odds-on shots come at this meeting.
SELECTION: EL FABIOLO.
Dan Skelton, speaking to ITV Sport after his brother Harry piloted home Langer Dan in the Coral Cup: “It’s remarkable and credit to the horse. I’ve never been prouder of a result than this. People don’t know but the horse had surgery after the meeting here last year and didn’t make it to Aintree. We were relying on this little horse and we got him right. He had a terrible winter. It’s been a massive team effort.”
3.15 Coral Cup result
1 Langer Dan (Harry Skelton) 13-2
2 Ballyadam (Rachael Blackmore) 13-2
3 Shanbally Kid (M J M O’Sullivan) 12-1
4 Lucky Place (James Bowen) 25-1
21 ran
Also: 4-1 Fav Built By Ballymore
Non Runners: 2,5,23,25
Langer Dan wins the Coral Cup for the second year running!
Might I is making a few disruptive mistakes. They speed from the countryside to head up the hill before they begin their descent. Langer Dan is pushed on. Ballyadam is moving up, too. Three out and it’s anyone’s. Built By Ballymore makes a mistake at two out. Langer Dan leads over the last and takes the race again for the Skelton team! Never rule them out on the handicaps! Ballyadam ran so well for Rachael Blackmore.
The first to do it twice!
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
Langer Dan wins back-to-back Coral Cup Handicap Hurdles for @DSkeltonRacing and @harryskelton89#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/pKtcI7y7bs
Updated
3.15 Coral Cup
This is where the punters can stay ahead for the week with a nice, big handicap win. They go off first time, with Doddiethegreat, the Henderson horse named after the late Doddie Weir, is in there. Beacon Edge leads at the first turn. Brazil, a previous festival winner, is there, too. It’s a long race, this, and tends to be won by a charge, though perhaps the terrain doesn’t allow for that. Beacon Edge as they enter the last lap.
Updated
3.15 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle odds
Built By Ballymore 7/2
Sa Majeste 6/1
Langer Dan 7/1
Doddiethegreat 9/1
Ballyadam 9/1
Jigoro 12/1
Shanbally Kid 14/1
Might I 14/1
Brazil 16/1
Zanndabad 16/1
Black Bamboo 20/1
Guard Your Dreams 22/1
First Street 25/1
Lucky Place 25/1
Da Capo Glory 33/1
Western Fold 33/1
Mark Of Gold 40/1
Beacon Edge 40/1
Maxxum 40/1
Rambo T 50/1
Lombron 66/1
Finest Evermore 80/1
Benson 80/1
Franciscan Rock 100/1
3:15pm: Market Movers from Oddspedia:
Black Bamboo 25/1 into 16/1
Shanbally Kid 18/1 into 14/1
Updated
On those two winners so far:
Fact To File makes it an easy double for Willie Mullins in the opening two races of Day Two. Fact To File before winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase was 15/2 to win the 2025 Gold Cup, those odds have been cut to as short as 4/1 with one bookmaker. Galophin Des Champs is still the betting favourite in the 2025 Gold Cup market, priced at 3/1.
Ballyburn won the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle with ease to give Willie Mullins yet another winner. Since that victory, Ballyburn has been cut from 33/1 to as short as 5/1 to win the 2025 Champion Hurdle. There are still a couple of bookmakers with 16/1 available, but we expect these to be cut in the next hour. Ballyburn will be the 4th favourite in the 2025 Champion Hurdle market behind, Constitution Hill, State Man and Lossiemouth.
3.15 CORAL CUP HANDICAP HURDLE
It would save bandwidth to simply list the horses that probably can’t win here, as there is a snippet of form somewhere to recommend pretty much everything in the race. It is interesting that Nicky Henderson has left Doddiethegreat in the field after scratching three of his declared runners today, including First Street in this, but clearly hard to back him with any confidence despite very decent claims on form. At the other end of the form table, Henry de Bromhead is on the board already and Ballyadam, who finished third in a Grade One last time out off a five-month break, will have plenty of supporters, while Willie Mullins’s handicap debutant Sa Majeste, who was a ferociously difficult horse for the handicapper to rate off the back of his win in a four-runner race at Limerick last time, is also going to tempt many punters in. After surrendering what little hair I have left, I eventually plumped for Built By Ballymore, who is going for a third straight win, but while the money for him today is encouraging on the one hand, it has left him looking very thin in terms of value at around 3-1.
SELECTION: BUILT BY BALLYMORE
JP McManus, back in the winner’s enclosure, on his horse Fact To File: “I was nervous, thought he was on his toes beforehand, but Mark [Walsh] did well to get him settled. I’m so relieved. It’s all in front of him. Willie decided to go straight to chasing and I had no objections. He’s been vindicated.”
Mark Walsh, Fact To File jockey, spoke to ITV Sport: “He jumped and travelled so well, he took me down the hill, I didn’t want to go too soon. This is a class horse now. The decision to go straight to fences was class. Hopefully we have a good one on our hands.”
Updated
Stay Away Fay, the British hope, for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, ended up being pulled up. Fact To File looked solid, plenty in hand. The new Florida Pearl? Well, maybe.
Cheltenham 2.30 result
1 Fact To File (M P Walsh) 8-13 Fav
2 Monty’s Star (Rachael Blackmore) 13-2
3 Giovinco (S Mulqueen) 40-1
6 ran
Also: 16-1 Sandor Clegane 4th
Fact To File wins the Brown Advisory Chase!
Mullins goes to 99! That was a calm, calm ride by Mark Walsh.
It’s a patient ride from Fact To File at the start, or at least from Walsh. Stay Away Fay and Monty’s Star are the two early leaders. Long way to go though, over three miles. American Mike sits in fourth. They’re not exactly hammering it as they turn past the stands, where American Mike and then Fact To File make mistakes. Not everyone is jumping well. Stay Away Fay is being worked on. American Mike keeps making jumping errors as Fact To File looms up four out. Monty’s Star is up the front, tracking andor Clegane, who is running a cracker as they go to the third-last. Plenty of chances at the final star. Fact To File goes between runners and then jumps clear, holding off Monty’s Star, Giovinco back in third.
👀 Win number 9️⃣9️⃣ for @WillieMullinsNH
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
Fact To File storms to the win in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/PPwPjXkpjA
Updated
It’s all about Fact To File, seen as a potential Gold Cup horse, and one of those “best we’ve ever had” coming from the JP McManus stable. It’s trained by Willie Mullins but ridden by JP’s retained rider, Mark Walsh.
Willie Mullins, now on 98 Cheltenham winners, tells ITV Racing: “That was a Champion Hurdle performance. Really, really spectacular. With his size, scope and pedigree, maybe our owners will decide to go chasing next year, I don’t know. But with that performance he can go anywhere.”
Does that mean next year’s Champion Hurdle is Lossiemouth, Ballyburn, State Man against Constitution Hill? Mullins will surely be well past 100 Chelts winners by then.
Updated
Nicky Henderson, as quoted by the BBC: “We’ve just got to be sensible. Yesterday was tough and there were too many horses disappointing us. No-one can identify anything what is wrong but they’re not right - it is as simple as that.
“We’ve done all the tests and scopes, something is going on and you only have to watch the way they run. It’s been going on for a week now. We can’t ignore it, we have to accept it and got to get it right.
“I guarantee it’s happened to everyone before. It’s difficult but we have to sweat it out. We have the horses, we have the talent and it’s cruel they can’t run on these four days of the year.”
Non-runner: 3.30 Boothill – the Harry Fry horse’s withdrawal makes it a six-horse race.
Nico de Boinville interviewed after Jingko Blue continued the horrible form of the Seven Barrows team: “You should be embarrassed asking me. Same story, different day.”
2.30 Brown Advisory Novices’ Hurdle odds
Fact To File 8/11
Stay Away Fay 9/2
Montys Star 11/2
American Mike 10/1
Sandor Clegane 25/1
Giovinco 40/1
Best Each Way Terms: Top two places on the race
2.30 Market Mover from Oddspedia:
Fact To File 1/1 into 4/6
American Mike 14/1 into 10/1
Updated
2.30 BROWN ADVISORY NOVICE CHASE
Another Mullins hotpot to consider here as the Festival’s most successful trainer looks to edge closer to his century. Fact To File guaranteed his status as favourite for this three-mile race with an emphatic defeat of his stable companion, Gaelic Warrior, over two miles five at Leopardstown last month, and that form looks even better after Gaelic Warrior’s success in yesterday’s Arkle Trophy. Fact To File took the “Florida Pearl” route from bumpers into chasing by bypassing hurdles entirely, suggesting that Mullins was confident before he even jumped a fence that he is potentially top-class. This promises to be his toughest test yet by some distance, however, and while the step up to three miles should not be a significant issue, the testing ground could still be a leveller. Stay Away Fay, last year’s Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle winner, likes to race up with the pace and will surely set out to make it a real test, while Monty’s Star, despite taking a big step up in class here, posted a winning time on heavy ground at Punchestown in December that suggests he will be very much at home at the highest level. It’s a small field but it promises to be a more closely fought contest than Fact To File’s odds might imply, and on balance - and taking the likely prices into consideration - I’m inclined to side with Monty’s Star and Rachael Blackmore at around 5-1.
SELECTION: MONTY’S STAR
David Manasseh, football agent, is leading the celebrations and he tells ITV Racing: “It has been a long journey. Just to get him to be here today. I am here and managed to win at Cheltenham. I cannot believe it.”
Mr Mannasseh happens to be agent to Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish.
1.30 Novice Hurdle result
1 Ballyburn (P Townend) 1-2 Fav
2 Jimmy Du Seuil (S F O’Keeffe) 66-
3 Ile Atlantique (Mr P W Mullins) 9-2
7 ran
Also: 40-1 Mercurey 4th
Non Runner: 8
Paul Townend’s fourth winner of the festival, and he speaks to ITV. “Not a big field. I respected a lot of the horses behind them but he blew them out of the water. It was a bigger performance than I expected.
“His bark is a lot worse than his bite. If you did get in a row with him there is only one winner but you can just let him put his head down. He’s very good.”
Updated
Ballyburn wins the Gallagher Novices Hurdle!
They go off first time, and Mercury takes the lead. Ballyburn sat off him. Il Atlantique, the horse of Tony Bloom, is sat off the back in the early stages. Jingko Blue hits a fence and drops back. The field is clustered as they go towards the stands. Ballyburn continues to track the leader as they set off from the Best Mate Stand. Jingko Blue, the Henderson horse, is not jumping at all well. The speed increases once they reach the hill at the top; it’s not been much contested. Mercury takes it along, and Ballyburn jumps well three out. Ballyburn takes it up as they go to the last but there is no answer. They need snookers as he jumps clear and wins by a mile. The dead cert wins. Jimmy Du Seuil is second at 40/1, and Ile Atlantique is third. That’s five Mullins horses home first.
𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 the hype
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
Ballyburn leads home a @WillieMullinsNH clean sweep in the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle in style!#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/TuR3ARfxRm
Updated
The horses are down to the start, with Ballyburn looking rather low in the head carriage. This horse was a cert for the Supreme, and beat Slade Steel, the winner of that race back home in Ireland. So it’s down to Paul Townend again, with his experience of riding a horse with millions on its back.
Quite the rant – and plenty of common sense – from Richard Hoiles on ITV here.
"We need to be more nimble. We're only showing 4 races on terrestrial television today from our biggest days, that could have been avoided with some forethought" 💬 @RichardHoiles
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 13, 2024
It's not been the most straightforward start to the week...#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/0eXrdyQWF0
1.30 Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle odds
Ballyburn 1/2
Ile Atlantique 6/1
Predators Gold 8/1
Handstands 14/1
Jingko Blue 22/1
Jimmy Du Seuil 40/1
Mercurey 40/1
Best Each Way Terms: Top three places on the race
Market Movers from Oddspedia:
Predators Gold 12/1 into 8/1
It’s not going well in the car parks.
Cheltenham Car Parking text just come in. pic.twitter.com/AV7gE2Jec7
— Andy Geraghty (@apgeraghty) March 13, 2024
From last night.
Car park fun on the Walk to the bus. Who drives to Cheltenham 🤷♂️ #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/XBE0NOYkRI
— Stephen Jury (@stephen_jury) March 12, 2024
1.45 GALLAGHER NOVICE HURDLE, 2m 5f PREVIEW
Every Festival winner still matters to Willie Mullins – his intensely competitive nature demands it – but if he will have been frustrated not to win the opener here yesterday despite having the first and second favourites, the annoyance was tempered somewhat by the identity of the horse that beat them. Slade Steel was brushed aside by Mullins’s Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, and his comfortable success in the Supreme also confirmed Ballyburn’s status as the biggest banker of the meeting from his yard. And just in case – you can never be too sure, after all – Mullins also fields the next two in the betting, Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold. Neither has posted a run as yet that would pose a serious threat to the favourite, but hey, you can never be too sure and the second-place prize money is pretty good too. The main danger to a Mullins 1-2-3, on ratings at least, is Nicky Henderson’s Jingko Blue, but the stable’s form is so abject at present – five of six runners on Tuesday were pulled up – that the unbeaten Handstands, from Ben Pauling’s yard, could prove to be a bigger threat.
SELECTION: BALLYBURN.
Updated
That revised schedule in full.
13:45 - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, 2m 5f
14:30 - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, 3m 1/2f
15:15 - Coral Cup Hurdle (Handicap Hurdle Race), 2m 5f
16:00 - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, 2m
Abandoned - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, 3m 5 1/2f
16:50 - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase, 2m
17:30 - Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Standard Open NH Flat Race), 2m 1/2f
That Nicky Henderson statement on Shishkin and Champ.
“Very sadly it will not be possible for Shishkin to run in the Gold Cup on Friday. He was scoped as have all our potential runners this week, but unfortunately he has shown an unsatisfactory picture on which he couldn’t possibly run.
“He appears to be 100 per cent in himself and has been working and schooling better than ever and we were really looking forward to Friday, it is hoped that along with all the other non-participants this week that they will be back in time for Aintree or Punchestown.
“Regrettably Champ has also succumbed and will not run in tomorrow’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the equivalent race at Aintree could be on the agenda.”
Statement from Nicky Henderson pic.twitter.com/zZAPCZNUaT
— Nicky Henderson (@sevenbarrows) March 13, 2024
Here’s Tuesday’s finishes at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Poor Nicky Henderson has had a terrible festival so far. Luccia running a cracker in the Champion Hurdle seemed to come as an almighty shock to someone otherwise distracted. Champ, the horse named after AP McCoy won’t be in the Stayers, either.
❌️ Confirmed by @sevenbarrows:
— Road To Cheltenham (@RoadCheltenham) March 13, 2024
SHISHKIN will miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup and CHAMP has been ruled out of the Stayers Hurdle tomorrow.
👎 I really feel for Nicky Henderson and his owners. Rotten timing.#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/DKvohRajo9
Tuesday was a day of trebles, of trixies and Yankees. Punters had to bet big to win big.
John Brewin here, your guide for a slightly truncated Wednesday race card. The Cross-Country will be missed. No Cheese Wedges or Aintree fences this year. And though there will be a smattering of Henderson horses, the Seven Barrows team is all but packed up and headed home. Jonbon, brother of Douvan the destroyer himself, would have added a dimension to the Champion Chase, and Shishkin missing the Gold Cup is a what a might have been story, for one of chasing’s mystery horses. On with the Mullins procession today? More than likely, we’re looking to the likes of Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead to lower their fellow Irishman’s colours.
Barry Glendenning is here all week, and took in a rather low-key opening day for everyone not called Mullins or Townend.
Preamble
Good morning from Cheltenham where, sadly, one disappointment has followed another this morning ahead of the second day of this year’s Festival.
News that today’s seven-race card had shrunk to just six with the abandonment of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase was followed by the scratching of three runners from Nicky Henderson’s yard, including Jonbon, the second-favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, amid concerns about the health of his string.
Five of Henderson’s six runners here on Tuesday were pulled up, and the trainer said in a statement posted on X that he had “been forced to make some very tough decisions following the disappointing performances of all bar one of our horses yesterday”.
The statement continued: “It was there for all to see that there is obviously something affecting nearly all our horses and consequently we have reluctantly decided that Jonbon, First Street [in the Coral Cup] and Kingston Pride [in the Champion Bumper] will not run today. It is impossible to identify any reason for all the disappointments and none of these horses have given us any cause for concern and all yesterday’s runners were scoped clean post-race and I am glad to say all are sound this morning.
“There will unfortunately be further non-runners on Thursday and Friday. I hope everybody will appreciate that we have to do this in everybody’s interests, particularly the horses. It is very, very disappointing for everybody.”
Shishkin, the third-favourite for Friday’s Gold Cup, has since been added to the list of absentees, and there will be obvious concerns that Sir Gino, the favourite for the Triumph Hurdle earlier in the day, could join the list.
The Cross-County Chase, meanwhile, has been abandoned following an inspection this morning. “Following 11mm of rainfall throughout yesterday, there has been no improvement in the conditions on the cross-country course and with areas of the track unraceable, the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase has sadly been abandoned,” read a statement. “The forecast for the remainder of the week continues to look unsettled, with further showers likely on both Thursday and Friday. There will therefore be insufficient improvement by Friday 15 March, and the decision has been taken not to reschedule the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase at the Festival.”
As a result, the start time of today’s first race, the Gallagher Novice Hurdle, has been pushed back to 1.45pm and the full revised running order is:
1.45 Gallagher Novice Hurdle
2.30 Brown Advisory Novice Chase
3.15 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
4.00 Queen Mother Champion Chase
4.50 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup
5.30 Champion Bumper
It has been an inauspicious opening to the day, and El Fabiolo is now long odds-on at 1-3 for the feature race after the scratching of his main market rival. There is still plenty to look forward to, however, including the distinct possibility that Willie Mullins will become the first trainer to register 100 Festival winners. He has the favourite in the Gallagher (Ballyburn), the Brown Advisory (Fact To File) and the Champion Chase, and a treble on all three is currently paying out at around 5-2.
