The high-octane action at the Cheltenham Festival continues on Day Two, with three Grade Ones featured on the ITV broadcast. Majborough's bid for Champion Chase glory headlines the card.
We have gone through the races televised on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival and have picked out our ITV horse racing tips. You can find our selections, an ITV Racing Accumulator, and the best bookmaker offers here.
Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival kicks off with the Grade One Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle.
No Drama This End headlines the betting, but plenty of Paul Nicholls stars have lost here before going on to brighter things over fences. I’ll Sort That is the forgotten overlooked horse in the field for the Declan Queally stable.
The six-year-old is a Grade One winner over two miles and four, easily beating Sortuda at Naas in early January. He has won four from five over hurdles, and looks like a very progressive stayer that could be even better over further.
Easy to argue that he would be shorter if trained by a leading yard. He has Each Way prospects at the very least.
Romeo Coolio’s inclusion in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase makes for a fascinating angle. However, his inexperience makes him hard to fancy on his first attempt over the trip.
Final Demand’s no-show at the Dublin Racing Festival would be a concern. Therefore, the reliable Wendigo is the standout play at a decent Each Way price.
The seven-year-old has been near faultless over fences, with his one blip coming at Kempton on Boxing Day at a track that didn’t suit. Quickly put that run behind him by bouncing back to winning ways at Ayr.
This has been the long-term plan for Jamie Snowden, and he will certainly give his running over a stamina-sapping distance that will suit.
The first handicap on Day Two of the Festival is the BetMGM Cup, run over two miles and five furlongs.
Willie Mullins trained the winner of the race 12 months ago, and history could repeat itself. Kopeck De Mee ticks plenty of the right boxes, including carrying the desired weight (11-3), and having winning form over hurdles.
The six-year-old will need to bounce back after falling on his chase debut, but he is incredibly overlooked based on the strength of his hurdles form, including when second to Wellington Arch in a big handicap at Aintree.
He was well-backed on stable debut in the Martin Pipe but failed to fire. This could be the day he lands a big pot.
Next up is the Cross Country Chase, run under handicap conditions for the second straight year.
Stumptown’s layoff is a notable negative, meaning that course and distance scorer Favori De Champdou is hard to oppose.
The top two in the weights are clearly the classiest horses in this field, and the Gordon Elliott-trained runner excelled on his second start over the Cheltenham Cross Country course, carrying top-weight to success by an eight-length margin from J’Arrive De L’Est.
The yard has an excellent record in the race, winning five of the last eight renewals and he ticks all the right boxes.
The feature on Day Two is the Grade One Champion Chase.
Favourites have a poor record in the prestigious race, but Majborough looks to be having everything going in his favour after returning to his clinical best over fences when winning the Grade One Dublin Chase by a widening 19-length margin last time.
He was narrowly beaten in the Grade One Arkle last year, finishing ahead of the re-opposing L’Eau du Sud despite making shuddering jumping mistakes.
Cheekpieces sharpened up his jumping at Leopardstown, and that could prove crucial once again in his bid to avenge his Cheltenham loss 12 months ago.
ITV’s coverage on Day Two concludes with the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup. Inthepocket is an outstanding chance for the Henry De Bromhead team.
The nine-year-old has run in eye-catching fashion on his last two starts, including when fifth in a big field at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Inthepocket has won once from seven starts over fences, and holds notable Festival form after finishing a close fourth in the 2023 Supreme.
He ticks plenty of trend boxes, including the weight he’s carrying, a previous run but no win at Cheltenham, and the fact that he is yet to win this season so his mark has been well protected.
