Cheltenham Festival 2024 Live: Horse racing updates, results, latest news, betting tips and more on Day Two at Prestbury Park

After yesterday’s report received an update after the Arkle to make it heavy and soft in some places, we are back to being soft and heavy in some places on the second day.

Race director John Pullin says this could change, however, after 11 millimeters of rain overnight and another two or three millimeters of rain before the start of the day.

The first day was fantastic, but if you missed what’s happening outside the limelight at Cheltenham, fear not – Mail Sport’s daily Cheltenham Breakfast dispatch will set you straight.

You can find today’s version of the daily newsletter below.

Yesterday was a day for punters as a host of favourites, including champion hurdler king State Man, came home to pay off big.

But should you pay attention to today? Paddy Power’s panel of experts weigh in below.

Willie Mullins bagged three loaded winners on the opening day of the Festival but was denied the chance to take the opener after his two contenders, Tullyhill and Mystical Power, were beaten by Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel with Rachael Blackmore on board, but the training wizard is much more likely to lay down the gauntlet on day two with Ballyburn.

Ballyburn was due to run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdles yesterday, but switched to today’s Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, and sits at the top of the pile as a strong favourite, with Paddy Power offering odds of 4/9.

His closest rival is stablemate Ile Atlantique… and third favorite Predators Gold, another Mullins horse, but it is almost impossible to look past the favourite, who won the Grade One Novices’ Hurdle at Leopardstown last month.

Due to the abandonment of the Cross Country Chase, the fifth race planned for today, there have been some changes to the schedule and I can now provide you with the revised schedule below.

1. Gallagher Novice Hurdles – 1:45 p.m.
2. Brown Advisory Novice Pursuit – 2:30 p.m.
3. Coral Obstacle Cup – 3:15 p.m.
4. Queen Mother’s Champion Chase – 4:00 p.m.
5. Annual Great Chase – 4:50 p.m.
6. Champion bumper – 5:30 p.m.

So, a little more time for novice hurdle contender Ile Atlantique to make it to the parade ring.

Yesterday’s festivities were marred by two deaths: Highland Hunter succumbed after a crash in the Ultima Handicap Chase and Oser Partir in the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle.

Mail Sport’s Dominic King writes movingly about the dark side of sport, and the additional tragic note brought by Highland Hunter’s close alignment with the late sportsman Keagan Kirkby, below.

This time it’s Friday’s crown jewel race: the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The highly regarded Shiskhin was withdrawn from the race by trainer Nicky Henderson, who in a statement shared an hour ago, said the horse had “shown an unsatisfactory picture in which he was unable to run”.

Henderson also retired Champ from the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, and Jonbon was withdrawn from today’s Champion Chase.

It takes a lot to see a race completely removed from the Festival calendar, but the waterlogged Cross Country Chase course cannot be saved this week.

Read Mail Sport’s report on this rare occurrence, below.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the second day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

The unexpected downpour of yesterday and today has already claimed a victim today, in the form of the Cross Country Chase, which, rather than being rescheduled for Friday as discussed on Tuesday, will be the first abandoned race at the Festival since it was cancelled. in 2001. .

But the rest of our calendar remains unchanged, with six races to look forward to today, including our centrepiece, the Queen Mother’s Champion Chase at 4pm.

But before the Novices’ Hurdle starts the day at 1.45pm, we’ll be bringing you all the preparations and news from Prestbury Park on Ladies’ Day, which has lately been renamed ‘Style Day’.