It was an enthralling day of action at the Cheltenham Festival as Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore combined to land the Champion Chase, while Willie Mullins became the first ever trainer to reach 100 winners at Prestbury Park.
It was also a great day for British trainer Dan Skelton, who landed a double courtesy of Langer Dan and Unexpected Party.
Here's the story of Day 2:
Gallagher Novices' Hurdle - Ballyburn (1/2)
Ballyburn produced what was arguably the most commanding display of the Festival yet as he thundered home with 13 lengths in hand - leading a Willie-Mullins 1-2-3-4-5 in the Day 2 opener.
Hacked up!
🔥 Ballyburn is just so good in the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle!
A 1-2-3-4-5 in the race for @WillieMullinsNH pic.twitter.com/bTR31dDdQ0
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) March 13, 2024
Mullins said: "That was some performance. For Paul to look around turning for home must have been because of the feel the horse was giving him. I was afraid we were going to have an Annie Power moment at the last because he went into it so fast.
"To come up the hill like that, wow what a performance!"
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - Fact To File (8/13)
Fact To File brought up 99 Cheltenham winners for the Master of Closutton in the hands of Paul Townend - seeing off Henry de Bromhead's Monty Star by 3 and a quarter lengths to justify short-priced favouritism. He's just 7/2 for next year's Cheltenham Gold Cup.
🟢🟡 Fact To File - smooth win in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
99 #CheltenhamFestival winners for WP Mullins pic.twitter.com/sBSqFd4uzN
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
Owner JP McManus said: “I was nervous and I thought he got a little warm and on his toes beforehand.
“I think Mark did a great job to get him settled and I think he will learn a lot from that race, I’m just relieved.
“It’s all in front of him and when Willie decided to go straight chasing with him I had no objection, it sounded good to me. It has been vindicated.”
Coral Cup - Langer Dan (13/2)
The Coral Cup once again went to Langer Dan, who became the first ever horse to win the race twice. Henry de Bromhead's Ballyadam was among those battling in the straight, but they couldn't see off Dan Skelton's charge who rode all the way through the line to land another touch in impressive style.
Langer Dan - Coral Cup hero AGAIN!
🏆 2024
🏆 2023He becomes the first horse to win the race twice @DSkeltonRacing @harryskelton89 pic.twitter.com/wPn1GAFquz
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
"It's remarkable and credit to the horse", said the winning trainer.
"I've never been prouder of a result than this. People don't know but the horse had surgery after the meeting here last year and didn't make it to Aintree. We were relying on this little horse and we got him right. He had a terrible winter. It's been a massive team effort."
Queen Mother Champion Chase - Captain Guinness (17/2)
Captain Guinness has won the Champion Chase for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore at the Cheltenham Festival.
It was an incident-packed race that summed up the unpredictability of jumps racing, as the Willie Mullins-trained 1/5 favourite El Fabiolo pulled up early on and Alan King's Edwardstone crashed out, leaving it to Captain Guinness (17/2) to see off Gentleman De Mee in the home straight.
It's a fourth Champion Chase success for Henry de Bromhead, and a first ever for Blackmore. De Bromhead now has two winners this week following Slade Steel's success in the Supreme yesterday, and it's a 23rd Cheltenham Festival winner in total.
This was Captain Guinness' fourteenth attempt at a Grade One - and his first ever victory.
👀 A dramatic Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase goes the way of the @HenrydeBromhead-trained Captain Guinness under @rachaelblackmor
Edwardstone OK after his fall at the second-last pic.twitter.com/G8lVVb5oa9
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
"The race opened right up", said Henry de Bromhead. "It's just amazing. This horse has deserved a Grade 1 so much - to get this one is just incredible."
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual - Unexpected Party (12/1)
The Grand Annual went the way of Unexpected Party to land a handicap double for the Skeltons following their earlier victory with Langer Dan.
The grey battled well when hitting the front to see off Path D'oroux and Libberty Hunter to make it three from three for the British in the open handicaps.
👏 Team Skelton at the double - Unexpected Party lands the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual @DSkeltonRacing | @harryskelton89 | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/9CE5W7t0eB
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
Champion Bumper - Jasmin De Vaux (9-2)
History was made as Patrick Mullins rode his father's century home in the Champion Bumper - with Jasmin De Vaux taking the outside route before storming home to see off the Gordon Elliott-trained pair of Romeo Coolio and Jalon Doudairies.
💯 100 Cheltenham Festival winners for Willie Mullins
Son Patrick guides Jasmin De Vaux to victory in the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper 🏆 pic.twitter.com/yV1fm72L00
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 13, 2024
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand
