Cheltenham Festival 2017 Day 2: Odds, tips, results and TV times for Ladies Day

Cheltenham Festival going on Wednesday

Chase and Hurdle Courses (Old Course): Good to Soft, Good in places (from Good to Soft)

Cross Country Course: Good, Good to Soft in places (from Good to Soft, Good in places)

Cheltenham Festival non-runners on Wednesday

2.50pm: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle – Carrig Cathal (Self Certificate, Stiff)

Cheltenham Festival Day 2 racecards, odds and tips

1.30pm Neptune Novices’ Hurdle (15 starters; live on ITV and Racing UK)

Odds (best available and selected): Neon Wolf 2/1, Bacardys 4/1, Shattered Love 10/1, Messire Des Obeaux 12/1, Willoughby Court 14/1, Bon Papa 18/1, Consul De Thaix 18/1.

The Scout says:

Willie Mullins has a strong hand and the best of his runners may be BACARDYS, who kept on well to beat stablemate Bunk Off Early at Leopardstown last month.

Neon Wolf has justified favouritism on all his four starts and will have to do so again if he is to take this prize.

Harry Fry’s six-year-old has got better and better with each run and was impressive when stepping up into Grade Two company at Haydock last time putting nine lengths between himself and the runner-up.

Having won a point over three miles stamina should not be a problem and he looks a convincing market leader.

2.10pm: RSA Novices’ Chase (12 starters: ITV, RUK)

Odds: Might Bite 7/2, Alpha Des Obeaux 6/1, Whisper 7/1, Acapella Bourgeois 15/2, Bellshill 10/1, Royal Vacation 12/1, Our Kaempfer 16/1, O O Seven 16/1.

The Scout says:

ROYAL VACATION won a Grade One at Kempton Park after Christmas when Might Bite fell at the last. He has since scored here on Festival trials day.

Might Bite represents Nicky Henderson, who took this with Bobs Worth in 2012. 

The eight-year-old had a confidence-boosting win over two moderate rivals (one fell) at Doncaster after his unlucky run in a Grade One novice chase at Kempton, where he came a cropper at the final fence when many lengths clear. 

He will get every yard of this extended three-mile trip.

Alpha Des Obeaux didn’t have the best prep race for the Festival when pulled up Leopardstown last time after suffering  a broken blood vessel, but has some useful form to his credit.

Prior to that Leopardstown mishap he was a good third in a Grade One novice chase at Fairyhouse.

2.50pm: Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (25 runners; ITV, RUK)

Odds: Tombstone 9/2, Tin Soldier 9/1, Peregrine Run 9/1, Hargam 14/1, Automated 16/1, Taquin du Seuil 18/1, Modus 18/1, Mister Miyagi 18/1, Supasundae 18/1.

The Scout says:

TOMBSTONE was earmarked for a chasing campaign this season but had some training issues and has been kept to hurdling. He has always looked destined to win a big pot and this could be his opportunity, particularly if he can reproduce his last-time-out form from Gowran where he beat the highly-rated Jezki.

Consul De Thaix is still maiden over hurdles but has been very lightly raced by Nicky Henderson and has been improving gradually from race to race.

He could be primed to do some damage off his fairly light weight.

Best run came last time when five lengths behind Brain Power in a Grade Three at Ascot.

Peregrine Run had his bid for a hurdling four-timer halted last time when he could finish only third behind Willoughby Court (runs in the 1.30).

Automated turned in the best performance of his hurdling career at Navan in December when landing a £22,000 handicap, but hasn’t been seen on a racecourse since.

3.30pm: Queen Mother Champion Chase (10 runners; ITV, RUK)

Odds: Douvan 3/10, Fox Norton 9/1, Gods Own 12/1, Special Tiara 20/1, Garde La Victoire 33/1, Sir Valentino 50/1

The Scout says:

DOUVAN is so superior to today’s opposition in the Queen Mother Champion Chase that it is simply a matter of how far he wins by.

A winner of all 13 of his races since joining Willie Mullins, he jumps immaculately and scores by a minimum of six lengths. That should be the case again today.

Fox Norton ran up against him here and at Aintree last spring. Douvan had 11 lengths in hand of him on the first occasion and 32 at the Grand National meeting.

Simply Ned has been put in his place by Fox Norton and Douvan this winter. He tries hard but does not cut the mustard in the top grade.

Special Tiara has come third in the last runnings of the race. He finished five lengths ahead of Gods Own 12 months ago but Tom George’s runner is the more consistent of the two. Both could make the first four again but it is hard to see them finishing first or second.

4.10pm: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (16 runners; RUK)

Odds: Cantlow 7/2, Cause Of Causes 4/1, Auvergnat 13/2, Bless The Wings 12/1, Sausalito Sunrise 14/1, Usuel Smurfer 18/1, Any Currency 18/1, Quantitiveeasing 18/1.

The Scout says:

CANTLOW ran poorly in this contest last year (11th behind stablemate Josie’s Orders) but two recent runs over course and distance have shown him to be in great heart and his trainer Enda Bolger is a cross-country specialist.  Produced best rating of his career when second, beaten three lengths in the second of those two latest outings. Looks the one to beat.

Cause Of Causes (fifth) was well behind Cantlow (2nd) in Urgent De Gregaine’s race over track and trip in January, but the former was making his cross-country debut that day and this dual Festival winner (Kim Muir and National Hunt Chase) is sure to be a lot sharper today.

4.50pm: Fred Winger Juvenile Novices Hurdle (22 runners; RUK)

Odds: Divin Bere 5/1, Long Call 15/2, Domperignon Du Lys 11/1, Dolos 12/1, Dreamcatching 14/1, Project Bluebook 14/1, Dino Velvet 16/1, Poker Play 20/1.

The Scout says:

DIVIN BERE, a hurdles winner in France on heavy ground, never made it to the racecourse when in the care of Paul Nicholls, but made a winning debut for Nicky Henderson in a decent juvenile event at Huntingdon.

He doesn’t look thrown in off 11st 9lb — just a pound below top weight — but definitely comes in to the ‘could be anything’ category. Should go close.

Long Call is an ex-Godolphin inmate who failed to score on the Flat, but appears to have come into his own now racing over timber.

He was sent over to Hereford from his Irish base and did the job in fine style, beating Quids In by a comfortable seven lengths.

5.30pm: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (23 runners; RUK)

Odds: Carter Mckay 11/2, Cause Toujours 15/2, Someday 9/1, Western Ryder 10/1, Fayonagh 11/1

CARTER MCKAY has an unblemished two-from-two record in bumpers for Willie Mullins. Got off the mark under Rules at Leopardstown in December and improved on that run when beating West Coast Time at Naas. Cruised through the race and has bags of scope. Clearly the one to beat.

Western Ryder has won two out of four for Warren Greatrex and is certainly on the upgrade. Was giving the promising winner Daphne Du Clos 21lb last time out and won’t be disgraced.