Cheltenham Festival LIVE: 1.45 results, tips and odds for Novices’ Hurdle and Queen Mother Champion Chase

Cheltenham schedule, racecard and all the action as the Festival continues on Day 2

Cheltenham 2024: Racegoers arrive for day one of festival

Cheltenham Festival is back for Day 2 after a thrilling opening day to ‘the greatest show on turf’ when star jockey Rachael Blackmore claimed her 15th victory at the racecourse.

The Irish star, on Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, helped spark even , which are sure to continue on Style Wednesday.

Day 1 also saw success for Willie Mullins, who is set for a huge week as he approaches a historic century of victories at Cheltenham, while there were also big wins for favourites Lossiemouth and State Man.

And around 70,000 spectators are expected to flock to Prestbury Park again, looking to beat the bookmakers, with today’s schedule including the Novices’ Hurdle to kick things off at 1:30pm, plus the Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase at 3:30pm.

Cheltenham Festival 2024: Jonbon pulled out of Queen Mother Champion Chase

AP McCoy gives his thoughts on Nicky Henderson withdrawing Jonbon from today’s Queen Mother Champion Chase

Luke Baker13 March 2024 13:41

Cheltenham 1.45 - Gallagher Novice Hurdle runners and riders

Here’s how we’re looking for the delayed 1.45 Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, with The Grey Man a non-runner from the original eight-man field

• Ballyburn 1/2
• Ile Atlantique 13/2
• Predators Gold 8/1
• Handstands 14/1
• Jingko Blue 20/1
• Mercurey 33/1
• Jimmy Du Seuil 50/1

Luke Baker13 March 2024 13:36

Cheltenham Festival 2024 - Queen Camilla arrives

Queen Camilla has arrived at the Cheltenham Racecourse ahead of today’s action. I wonder who she’s backing in this first race?

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:30

Cheltenham 1.45 - Gallagher Novice Hurdle

Yesterday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, Slade Steel, was swept aside by Willie Mullins’s Ballyburn at the Dublin Racing Festival in February and he runs in the first race of Style Wednesday.

His status is that of the biggest banker at the Festival from Mullins’s yard. The Irish trainer also has the nearest contenders in Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold running though neither has posted a run to pose a serious threat.

Nicky Henderson’s Jingko Blue and Handstands, from Ben Pauling’s yard, could prove to be the closest challengers elsewhere.

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:24

Cheltenham Festival horse Highland Hunter dies after nasty fall

A first horse of the week had been put down on the opening day of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, with Highland Hunter dying after suffering a fatal fall in the Ultima Handicap Chase.

The 11-year-old grey gelding fell in the 2.50pm race – the third of the day – with concerns about his health immediately beginning to grow.

And ITV presenter Ed Chamberlin confirmed the sad news of the death live on air shortly afterwards.

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:18

Rachael Blackmore’s battling win kicks off Cheltenham Festival with a bang

In spite of an onslaught of early rain threatening to dampen spirits as well as the course, Rachael Blackmore ensured the Cheltenham Festival began with a bang in a wonderful ride atop Slade Steel for the opening race of the week, the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

With spectators gathered around the grandstand, a false start scuppered the chance for an expectedly loud Cheltenham roar as sighs of disappointment met the horses instead as they led off. In an almost stubborn response, the gathered crowds were rewarded with a tantalising and fantastic opening race.

Blackmore marshalled Slade Steel beautifully over the deteriorating ground and waited for her moment. She held her horse just on the outside of the pack as the favourite, Tullyhill, and Tellherthename jostled for the lead upfront. With three fences to go, a sense of nervous anticipation settled on the watching onlookers who wondered if she’d left it too late to make a move.

She hadn’t.

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:12

Expert picks for Wednesday’s opening race

13:45 – Novices’ Hurdle

Ed Chamberlin - Ballyburn: “Welcome to Cheltenham everybody, it’s damp and dreary but it’ll take more than that to dampen our spirits though. Particularly, as in the Gallagher hurdles, Sky Bet are being brave, Ballyburn is all the talk and he’s been price boosted. I think it’s going to take the world of beating in that race, the first race on Wednesday.”

Ruby Walsh - Ballyburn and Jimmy Du Seuil (each way): “Willie Mullins has plenty of runners in here and I’m a huge fan of Ballyburn. He’s a short price and a value pick could be Jimmy Du Seuil to be placed. He’s an each-way shout if eight runners line up.”

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:06

Rachael Blackmore happy with Monty’s Star’s chances

speaking to Betfair about her rides this afternoon.

She’ll be riding in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase with Monty’s Star and said: “I am really looking forward to riding Monty’s Star in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on Wednesday.

“He was good in winning his beginners’ chase on New Year’s Eve at Punchestown. His jumping was very good, and that will be a big asset here. He’s bred for it too, he’s a half-brother to Monalee, who finished second in this race in 2018.

“It’s a small enough field this year, but it’s still a very good race. Fact To File looked good at Leopardstown last time and his times were impressive. Stay Away Fay is last year’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner, and he ran really well in the Cotswold Chase last time. But we couldn’t be happier with our lad, he travelled over well and hopefully he can go one better than his brother did.”

Mike Jones13 March 2024 13:00

Henderson also withdraws Jondon from Queen Mother Champion Chase

Jonbon, one of the favourites to win the champion race on Style Wednesday, has been withdrawn from the running by trainer Nicky Henderson.

Henderson posted on X, formerly Twitter, that several of his horses were being pulled from running over the remainder of the week. He said: “I’m afraid we have had to make some very tough decisions following the very disappointing performances of all bar one of our horses yesterday,” he said.

“It was there for all to see that there is obviously something affecting nearly all our horses.”

You can read his full statement here:

Mike Jones13 March 2024 12:54

Shishkin won’t run in Gold Cup as Henderson withdraws him from race

One of the contenders for Friday’s Gold Cup has been ruled out of the race after trainer Nicky Henderson withdrew him from the race.

“Very sadly it will not be possible for Shishkin to run in the Gold Cup on Friday,” said Henderson.

“He was scoped [tested] 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% 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.”