Day two of the Cheltenham Festival has seen plenty of success for Irish jockeys and trainers, as the cream of the crop continues to rise to the top.
Paul Townend got Ireland off to a flyer as he brought short-odds favourite Sir Gerhard home to win the Grade One Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, registering another success for trainer Willie Mullins in doing so.
The next Irish success was a whopping 50/1 fairytale for trainer Gordon Elliott and owner Michael O'Leary, who watched on as Shane Fitzgerald from Buttevant in Cork ran a fantastic race aboard Commander Of Fleet and inched out Darragh O'Keeffe from Doneraile on Fastorslow to land a surprise win in the Coral Cup.
Fitzgerald was elated afterwards as he spoke to Racing TV.
He said: "Tis absolutely serious, the atmosphere around here.
"To even get a ride in the likes of here, on the likes of that type of horse, it's unbelievable. I can't thank Gordon or Mr O'Leary enough for giving me the opportunities.
"A little bit slow jumping off. We crept away through.
"It was fairly handy the whole way, it was wide with plenty of light everywhere. To be fair, I didn't want to give Jack too much room swinging around for the second last.
"He's had a couple of good runs, and a couple of poor runs. That's my third time riding him, second time to win on him."
Fitzgerald's rousing win built Irish momentum and in the very next race it was once again Townend who delivered aboard Energumene to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase, marking a double on the day for the Townend-Mullins duo.
2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Jack Kennedy struck next as he romped home to win the Glenfarclas Chase on Delta Work, making it two wins on the day for Elliott.
Kielan Woods - based in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire but originally hailing from Athlone - was next up as he guided 28/1 shot Global Citizen to victory in the Grade Three Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
The Irish jockeys, trainers and owners plying their trade at the Cheltenham Festival are keeping up the red-hot form of recent years and are showing no signs of stopping as the week progresses.
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