![\"Nico](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WYQ52LUCFNW3UXPTUGBGQQ2U54.jpg\")
Nico de Boinville celebrates after winning with Old Park Star on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: Tom Maher\/Inpho <\/p>\nWednesday\u2019s race schedule<\/p>\n
Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle – King Rasko Grey<\/p>\n
Brown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase – Kitzbuhel<\/p>\n
MGM Cup Handicap Hurdle – Jingko Blue<\/p>\n
3.20pm \u2013 Final Orders<\/p>\n
4pm \u2013 Champion Chase<\/p>\n
4.40pm \u2013 Grand Annual Handicap Chase<\/p>\n
5.20pm \u2013 Champion Bumper<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fifth Willie Mullins winner of Cheltenham so far, and he has passed the \u00a31m mark for prize money already.<\/p>\n
Paul Townend, after winning the Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, has had a great Cheltenham.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the results of the Champion Chase:<\/p>\n
Il Etait TempsLibberty HunterL\u2019eau Du Sud<\/p>\n
JP McManus\u2019s Majborough, the odds-on favourite, lost out, and his hunt for a Champion Chase victory goes on. It\u2019s another win for Willie Mullins with Il Etait Temps, though.<\/p>\n
Libberty Hunter was 50\/1 as the start of the race, a great performance.<\/p>\n
IL ETAIT TEMPS wins the Champion Chase!<\/p>\n
Majborough fell out of contention after a terrible jump on the third-last hurdle, and Paul Townend pushed Il Etait Temps so hard over the last few hurdles, surviving a troubling final jump to win by a huge distance.<\/p>\n
Libberty Hunter followed in second and then L\u2019eau De Sud finished third. Majborough ended up being one of the last finishers.<\/p>\n
The third last jump is a disaster for Majborough!<\/p>\n
Majborough is about five lengths in front at the halfway mark, and is jumping well so far, but the fifth last fence goes badly.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re underway! Majborough makes a poor start to the Champion Chase, but recovers well to start in front with Quilixios.<\/p>\n
Majborough has now moved to odds-on at 4\/5. Il Etait Temps is at 11\/4, while, further up the field, Irish Panther has moved down to 14\/1.<\/p>\n
And Malachy Clerkin has his preview of this massive race, with JP McManus\u2019 Majborough the favourite:<\/p>\n
4.00 Champion Chase<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feature race of the day is the fastest race over fences all week and it features the first \u2013 and quite possibly only \u2013 odds-on favourite of the meeting. <\/p>\n
Majborough for Willie Mullins and JP McManus ought to be a cut above the others here, all the more so since Marine Nationale\u2019s injury-enforced withdrawal last week. If he jumps a clear round and doesn\u2019t make a mess of his fences like he did in last year\u2019s Arkle, he should come home alone. <\/p>\n
Of the others, Irish Panther is a fascinating entry \u2013 still a novice, he could have gone for the Arkle but chose this as the more winnable race. Brave or stupid? Time to find out.”<\/p>\n
Now to the main attraction, the Champion Chase:<\/p>\n
10\/11 Majborough<\/p>\n
5\/2Il Etait Temps<\/p>\n
6\/1 Leau De Sud<\/p>\n
14\/1 Quilixios<\/p>\n
16\/1 Irish Panther<\/p>\n
22\/1 Found a Fifty<\/p>\n
40\/1 Saint Segal<\/p>\n
50\/1 Captain Guinness<\/p>\n
50\/1 Libberty Hunter<\/p>\n
150\/1 Brookie<\/p>\n
Results from the Cross Country Chase:<\/p>\n
Final OrdersFavori De ChampdouVanillier<\/p>\n
Irish one-two-three in the Cross Country Chase.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the winning jockey, Conor Stone-Walsh, who won for the C M D Syndicate, on a Gavin Cromwell trained horse.<\/p>\n
And great reaction, too, from the C M D Syndicate on their first Cheltenham win.<\/p>\n
Final Orders wins the Cross Country Chase! Conor Stone-Walsh took the final hurdle perfectly and left Favori De Champdou behind by a few lengths, giving the jockey time to celebrate over the finish. <\/p>\n
Vanillier recovered well from a few poor jumps to take third.<\/p>\n
Halfway through and Final Orders still leads with Favori de Champdou just off his shoulder. Pied Piper has fallen and is out of the race.<\/p>\n
And they\u2019re off for the Cross Country Chase! Favori de Champdou has made a decent start in the front group, with Final Orders in the lead.<\/p>\n
The favourite, Favori De Champdou has bolted away from the group at speed. The only problem is that the race hasn\u2019t begun yet. Jack Kennedy gets him under control, showing him around the track eventually.<\/p>\n
There has been an equine fatality following the MGM Cup Handicap Hurdle. Hms Seahorse died after falling at the final hurdle.<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s Malachy\u2019s preview of the Cross Country Chase:<\/p>\n
3.20 Cross Country Chase<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways great fun to watch, this race tends to come down to a few specialists near the front of the market. Favouri Du Champdou has been the form horse through the winter at this discipline but he has two Gavin Cromwell charges to overcome in last year\u2019s winner Stumptown and Final Orders, who won here in December. Hard to see too many others getting involved. “<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the field for the Cross Country Chase:<\/p>\n
7\/4 Favori De Champdou<\/p>\n
7\/2 Stumptown<\/p>\n
6\/1 Vanillier<\/p>\n
15\/2 Desertmore House<\/p>\n
17\/2 Final Orders<\/p>\n
12\/1 Pied Piper<\/p>\n
16\/1 The Goffer<\/p>\n
20\/1 Fakir Doudairies<\/p>\n
20\/1 Conflated<\/p>\n
30\/1 Latenightpass<\/p>\n
50\/1 Velvet Elvis<\/p>\n
50\/1 Horantzau Dairy<\/p>\n
50\/1 Famous Bridge<\/p>\n
110\/1 Minella Crooner<\/p>\n
Our racing expert, Brian O\u2019Connor, has an update on the Queally-De Boinville spat stemming from the start of the Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle:<\/p>\n
\u201cIrish amateur jockey Declan Queally described as \u201chorrific\u201d what top English rider Nico de Boinville said to him at the start of the Turners Novice Hurdle on day two of the Cheltenham Festival, a race won by the Willie Mullins-trained King Rasko Grey.<\/p>\n
De Boinville finished runner-up on Act Of Innocence while Queally was fifth on I\u2019ll Sort That after what he described as a \u201cmess\u201d of a start. Both jockeys appeared to want to fill the same position at the start which required a number of tries to get off.<\/p>\n
Quizzed by ITV after the race, Queally said: \u201cBeing abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville, is not very nice. I\u2019m an amateur, I\u2019m coming over riding, in front of my kids, horrific.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Boinville was asked about the start and Queally\u2019s description of it as mess and replied: \u201cMaybe he should look in the mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ITV panel, including former 20-time champion jockey AP McCoy and Ruby Walsh, said Queally was entitled to be in the position at the start that De Boinville seemed to object to in colourful fashion.<\/p>\n
No action was taken by the stewards into the incident. Ballyfad was kicked at the start by another runner but was allowed race and finished unplaced.”<\/p>\n
Nico de Boinville celebrates after winning with Old Park Star on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: Tom Maher\/Inpho <\/p>\n
More controversy over the start of a race today, as that race went off very hastily. Six riders seemed to be totally left behind at the start, trapped on the inside, including Puturhandstogether, Bunting and Hms Seahorse.<\/p>\n
Jingko Blue wins the MGM Cup Handicap Hurdle! And by quite a few lengths. James Bowen was the jockey for the Nicky Henderson trained horse.<\/p>\n
Franciscan Rock followed well throughout the race, and finished in second, while Storm Heart came third, and Ballyadam in fourth.<\/p>\n
The Yellow Clay fell on the third last hurdle, after making good ground up on the leader, as did Hms Seahorse on the final hurdle.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re off and running for the MGM Cup Handicap Hurdle! Jingko Blue and Franciscan Rock leading it so far.<\/p>\n
The two favourites, Jingko Blue and Storm Heart are now at 15\/4 and 5\/1 respectively. Previous favourite, Kopeck De Mee, is now at 10\/1, while Brian O\u2019Connor\u2019s pick, Puturhandstogether, is at 11\/1.<\/p>\n
If the first two races are anything to go by, we\u2019ll be seeing plenty of Willie Mullins. He would have been pretty relaxed at that finish, with both Final Demand and Kitzbuhel in his stable.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s Malachy\u2019s preview on the 2.40pm race:<\/p>\n
2.40 MGM Cup Handicap Hurdle<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Coral Cup as was, this is a notoriously difficult race to find the winner of. With as many 50\/1 winners as winning favourites in the past decade \u2013 one apiece \u2013 you might be as well closing your eyes and saying a prayer as anything more sophisticated here. <\/p>\n
Certainly Kopek De Mee looks like a dodgy favourite given how many times it hasn\u2019t lived up to its sizeable reputation for Willie Mullins. Maybe look at something like Farren Glory for Gordon Elliott, or the likeable Ballyadam, who has twice been placed in this race.”<\/p>\n
4\/1 Storm Heart<\/p>\n
4\/1 Jingko Blue<\/p>\n
11\/2 The Yellow Clay<\/p>\n
15\/2 Kateira<\/p>\n
17\/2 Iberico Lord<\/p>\n
9\/1 Kopeck De Mee<\/p>\n
10\/1 Puturhandstogether<\/p>\n
14\/1 Bunting<\/p>\n
16\/1 Lucky Place<\/p>\n
20\/1 Forty Coats<\/p>\n
22\/1 Guard Duty<\/p>\n
28\/1 Farren Glory<\/p>\n
30\/1 Beckett Rock<\/p>\n
30\/1 Ballyadam<\/p>\n
30\/1 Chart Topper<\/p>\n
35\/1 Buddy One<\/p>\n
40\/1 Give It To Me Oj<\/p>\n
50\/1 Francsican Rock<\/p>\n
50\/1 Colonel Mustard <\/p>\n
50\/1 Rambo T<\/p>\n
50\/1 Hms Seahorse<\/p>\n
50\/1 Sony Bill<\/p>\n
90\/1 Minella Rescue<\/p>\n
125\/1 Dargiannini<\/p>\n
A bit of controversy from the first race of the day, as Declan Queally was not happy about the conduct of Nico de Boinville at the start of the Turners Novices\u2019 Chase.<\/p>\n
“Being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville is not very nice” \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n
“I’m an amateur, I’m coming over riding in front of my kids. HORRIFIC” \ud83d\ude2f<\/p>\n
Declan Queally is NOT HAPPY with Nico de Boinville \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/ZooWaL1PDI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Brown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase:<\/p>\n KitzbuhelFinal DemandSalver<\/p>\n Kitzbuhel wins the Turners Novices\u2019 Chase! Harry Cobden led the race throughout and pulled away to win ahead of Final Demand in second and Salver in third. Another win for Mullins.<\/p>\n Wendigo fell at the last, but is up safely.<\/p>\n Kaid Dauthie has fallen. Kitzbuhel is still in front, with Romeo Coolio going backwards.<\/p>\n Kitzbuhel\u2019s striking grey coat is out in front by about two lengths, nearly halfway through. Romeo Coolio is still nicely positioned in the front pack though.<\/p>\n And we\u2019re off for the Brown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase. The favourite, Romeo Coolio, is 2\/1 now. <\/p>\n Willie Mullins couldn\u2019t believe what price King Rasko Grey fell to before the Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle.<\/p>\n “I couldn’t believe he was 11\/1” \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n “I thought he’d be 2\/1, 3\/1 MAX” \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n Willie Mullins had faith in King Rasko Grey and he delivered \ud83d\udc4a pic.twitter.com\/kYgyqN7iF1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s Malachy\u2019s preview of the upcoming race:<\/p>\n 2.00 Brown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase<\/p>\n \u201cLooks to be a high quality race this year, benefitting from the deletion of the two-and-a-half-mile novice chase from the Cheltenham programme. Romeo Coolio would almost certainly have been sent to that race if it still existed but the Gordon Elliott hope comes here instead and has been an uneasy favourite. <\/p>\n Final Demand could turn out to be the Gold Cup horse among these, although that never guarantees a win in this race. One to keep an eye on is Koktail Divin for Henry DeBromhead \u2013 he was favourite for the Jack Richards Handicap Chase on Thursday but goes here instead, with connections clearly fancying their chances.”<\/p>\n The Brown Advisory Novices\u2019 Chase is next at 2pm.<\/p>\n 3\/1 Romeo Coolio<\/p>\n 16\/5 Final Demand<\/p>\n 9\/2 Kaid Dauthie <\/p>\n 6\/1 Koktail Divin<\/p>\n 17\/2 Wendigo<\/p>\n 12\/1 Western Fold<\/p>\n 12\/1 Kitzbuhel<\/p>\n 14\/1 Oscars Brother<\/p>\n 25\/1 Salver<\/p>\n 35\/1 Argento Boy<\/p>\n 50\/1 Thomas Mor<\/p>\n 70\/1 Now Is The Hour<\/p>\n 50\/1 Joystick<\/p>\n 150\/1 Rushmount<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the top three for the Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle:<\/p>\n King Rasko GreyAct of InnocenceZeus Power<\/p>\n The winning jockey, Paul Townend, recorded his 40th Cheltenham victory.<\/p>\n King Rasko Grey takes the Turners Novice Hurdle! Willie Mullins has another winner, with Paul Townend the jockey.<\/p>\n Act of Innocence comes in second, and there\u2019s a scramble for third, with Zeus Power possibly nicking it.<\/p>\n No Drama This End fell out of the running very early, and never looked like figuring at the top end of the race.<\/p>\n An even pace in this race, with No Drama This End quite far back in the pack with five hurdles to go. Skylight Hustle and Ill Sort That still leading.<\/p>\n It\u2019s taking quite a while to steady the horses and line them up for the start. Sortudo even needs a wee before we get underway.<\/p>\n And we\u2019re off eventually! King Rasko Grey off to a good start, as is Skylight Hustle.<\/p>\n Brian O\u2019Connor\u2019s pick, King Rasko Grey, is up to 9\/1 now, while the favourite, No Drama This End, has come down to 9\/4. Riskaway has made big moves, coming down from 66\/1 less than half an hour ago to 35\/1.<\/p>\n The favourite for today\u2019s first race is ready to go.<\/p>\n Malachy Clerkin provides us with his first preview of the day, with less than 20 minutes before the first race of the day:<\/p>\n 1.20 Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle<\/p>\n \u201cThe Day Two opener has no stand-out \u2013 at least no obvious one anyway. The favourite is No Drama This End for Paul Nicholls, with Bossman Jack for the Skeltons near the front of the market as well. Seeing as there was a British 1-2-3-4 in the Supreme, maybe the Irish novice hurdler form isn\u2019t up to much. <\/p>\n Willie Mullins sends six to this, which suggests that your guess is as good as his as to which is the best of them. It could be best to side with two small Irish trainers here \u2013 Waterford\u2019s Declan Queally brings I\u2019ll Sort That and Kerry\u2019s Tom Cooper has Shuttle Diplomacy. Both of them travel with right chances in what looks a very open renewal.”<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the odds for the 1.20pm Turners Novice\u2019s Hurdles.<\/p>\n 5\/2 No Drama This End <\/p>\n 7\/1 Sober<\/p>\n 7\/1 Sortudo<\/p>\n 8\/1 King Rasko Grey<\/p>\n 8\/1Act of Innocence<\/p>\n 8\/1 Skylight Hustle<\/p>\n 12\/1 Ballyfad<\/p>\n 14\/1 Ill Sort That<\/p>\n 16\/1 Bossman Jack<\/p>\n 22\/1 Zeus Power<\/p>\n 25\/1 Laurets Destruyal<\/p>\n 30\/1 Shuttle Diplomacy<\/p>\n 33\/1 Saint Baco<\/p>\n 33\/1 Taurus Bay<\/p>\n 40\/1 Hurricane Pat<\/p>\n 66\/1 Klimt Madrik<\/p>\n 66\/1 Fortune Timmy<\/p>\n 66\/1 Riskaway<\/p>\n 100\/1 Walks in June<\/p>\n 100\/1 Solider Reeves <\/p>\n 110\/1 Free Spirit<\/p>\n NR Came From Nowhere<\/p>\n Our racing expert, Brian O\u2019Connor, is in Cheltenham for this week\u2019s festival and has made his picks for the races on day two.<\/p>\n 1.20 – King Rasko Grey<\/p>\n 2.00 – Predators Gold<\/p>\n 2.40 – Puturhandstogether (Nap)<\/p>\n 3.20 – Desertmore House<\/p>\n 4.00 – Il Etait Temps<\/p>\n 4.40 – Release The Beast<\/p>\n 5.20 – Our Trigger<\/p>\n And if you won\u2019t take it on faith, you can read up on why he\u2019s made his selections below.<\/p>\n [Cheltenham day two tips: Willie Mullins\u2019s best hope in the opener and picks for each race<\/a>]<\/p>\n With Cheltenham\u2019s capacity expanded to 66,000 last year, attendance on day one was around 9,000 short of that figure. However, it was up on last year\u2019s attendance on the opening day, writes Brian O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n![\"Kitzbuhel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CYZX73TMQYYNSK3S7Y43DURIWE.jpg\")
Kitzbuhel ridden by Harry Cobden after winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Photograph: Andrew Matthews\/PA Wire. <\/p>\n![\"Willie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/T2GWM7FHNQV2DDM3ZDZO57EGOE.jpg\")
Willie Mullins (right) on the gallops ahead of day two of the Cheltenham Festival. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PA Wire. <\/p>\n