Cheltenham Festival: The best pictures from day two

The second day of the Festival promises more drama and plenty of silly Irish hats – it's St Patrick's Day after all. The big race at 3.20pm features Paul Nicholls's Master Minded against the Irish charge Big Zeb – no doubts about which horse these ladies will be backing
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

The runners in the first race, the Hunt Challenge Cup, set off in front of the stands. Mobasher is the favourite, with Nina Carberry's ride Becauseicouldntsee also well backed ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Becauseicouldntsee, racing on three shoes, leads over the penultimate fence ... but Poker De Sivola, the 14-1 shot with Katie Walsh on board, comes through to steal victory
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Katie, who is Ruby Walsh's sister, is all smiles as she enters the winner's enclosure
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

The spectacle of a big pile-up in the Novice Hurdle draws gasps from the crowd ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Peddlers Cross was unscathed, completing the course ahead of Reve De Sivola and the favourite Rite of Passage ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

... much to the delight of these punters
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Irish supporters await the 2.40 in which Punchestowns - a potential future Gold Cup runner - will go head-to-head with stable-mate Long Run
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

But they both perform disappointingly and Weapon's Amnesty exploits with an impressive round of jumping, eventually galloping away from Burton Port to win the RSA Chase
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Time for the big one: Master Minded, the eight-year-old going for his third straight Champion Chase, is the one to beat. Odds on ... invincible they say ... we'll soon see ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

A shock result (and a shocking performance from the favourite) as Big Zeb with Barry Geraghty gets his jumping right - unusually for him - and convincingly wins the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Master Minded's expense
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

The favourite finishes down in fourth
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Big Zeb gets a kiss from Geraghty who later says: "They didn't go that quick so I made sure I was in a good position all the way and he jumped brilliantly for a five-year-old. I had a fair idea he'd stay but he's only five - he did it really well."
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Ruby Walsh reckons the ground was to blame. He cut a forlorn figure afterwards
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Water glistens on the flank of Big Zeb as he is cooled down
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Big Zeb licks his chops. The winning trainer, Colm Murphy (not pictured), has tasted Cheltenham success before with Brave Inca in the 2006 Champion Hurdle. He skipped and jumped across the track to meet his winner after the race and said: "He takes a bit of knowing and Barry knows him really well. We were coming here fresh and well and I think that made all the difference. We've had a fantastic run-up to this race and everything went right. It's incredible."
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Fresh from his win on Big Zeb, Barry Geraghty saddles Spirit River and guides the 14-1 chance in behind the early leaders in the Coral Cup
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

With two fences remaining Spirit River moves through the pack and eventually wins the race, despite a late charge from the outsider Tullamore Dew (80-1)
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

Ruby Walsh looks thrilled after winning the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle on Sanctuaire, a victory which makes him the Festival's most successful jockey
Photograph: Tom Jenkins

In soft evening sunshine the field in the final race of the day - The Weatherbys Champion Bumper - head out into the country. If any punters had money on the 40/1 shot Cue Card then they would be heading home happy as he romped home by a couple of lengths Photograph: Tom Jenkins

The sun goes down behind a statue of Dawn Run, the only horse ever to have won both the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup, as the day's racing comes to an end
Photograph: Tom Jenkins