Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Latest updates, results, tips, and racecard as Politologue wins Champion Chase
Follow the latest updates from the second day of the Cheltenham Festival as the Queen Mother Champion Chase turns up a shock upset
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow the latest updates live from the Cheltenham Festival as day two featured a huge upset in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
With Altior and Chacun Pour Soi absent from the big one on Ladies Day, Defi Du Seuil was expected to breeze to victory and take on the crown as the Champion Chaser, but it proved anything but as Harry Skelton and Politologue stunned the five-horse field to romp away to victory, dealing out a big win for the bookies in the process. The upset followed one of the most thrilling finishes in recent Cheltenham memory as Champ shot between Minella Indo and Allaho to win the RSA Chase, while Dame De Compagnie lived up to expectations by clinching the Coral Cup.
The last of the big-race action sees two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll in action in the Cross Country Steeple Chase at 4:20pm. Follow the live updates below.
Full racecard and results
Tuesday
1:30pm - The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 1. Shishkin 6-1 2. Abacadabras 11-5 3. Chantry House 15-2
2:10pm - The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase: 1. Put The Kettle On 16-1 2. Fakir D’Oudairies 3-1 3. Rouge Vif 9-1
2:50pm - The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase: 1. The Conditional 15-2 2. Kildisart 10-1 3. Discorama 11-2 Jt Fav 4. Vindication 11-2 Jt Fav
3:30pm - The Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy: 1. Epatante 2/1 Fav 2. Sharjah 16/1 3. Darvar Star 17/2
4:10pm - The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race: 1. Honeysuckle 9/4 2. Benie Des Dieux 4-6 fav 3. Elfile 16/1
4:50pm - The Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase: 1. Imperial Aura 4-1 Jtfav 2. Galvin 4-1 Jtfav 3. Hold The Note 10-1
5:30pm - The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup: 1 Ravenhill 12-1 2 Lord Du Mesnil 11-2 3 Lamanver Pippin 33-1
Wednesday
1:30pm - The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Race: 1. Envoi Allen - 4/7 Fav 2. Easy Work - 12/1 3. The Big Getaway - 9/1
2:10pm - The RSA Insurance Novices’ Steeple Chase: 1 Champ - 4-1 2 Minella Indo 3-1 3 Allaho 5-2 Fav
2:50pm - The Coral Cup Hurdle: 1 Dame De Compagnie 5-1 Fav 2 Black Tears 12-1 3 Thosedaysaregone 10-1 4 Cracking Smart 33-1
3:30pm - The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase: 1 Politologue 6-1 2 Dynamite Dollars 7-1 3 Bun Doran 33-1
4:10pm - Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase: 1 Easysland 3-1 2 Tiger Roll 8-11 Fav 3 Out Sam 33-1
4:50pm - The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race: 1 Aramax 15-2 2 Night Edition 16-1 3 Saint D'Oroux 14-1 4 Recent Revelations 14-1
5:30pm - The Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Thursday
1:30pm - The Marsh Novices’ Chase
2:10pm - The Pertemps Network Final
2:50pm - The Ryanair Steeple Chase
3:30pm - The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
4:10pm - The Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate
4:50pm - The Festival Mares Novices’ Hurdle
5:30pm - The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Friday
1:30pm - The JCB Triumph Hurdle
2:10pm - The Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle Race
2:50pm - The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Race
3:30pm - The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase
4:10pm - The St James’s Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
4:50pm - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
5:30pm - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Politologue still leads the way, and Defi Du Seuil has a lot of work to do!
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Defi Du Seuil was NOWHERE. Barry Geraghtty urged him on but there was just no response, and the heavy favourite ends up labouring home to fourth in a five-horse field.
Credit to Harry Skelton and Politologue, as they led from the very start and raced home to take a landslide victory for Paul Nicholls and an emotional owner John Hales.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
1 Politologue (Harry Skelton) 6-1
2 Dynamite Dollars (H Cobden) 7-1
3 Bun Doran (J J Burke) 33-1
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Nicholls and Hales join Politologue for the walk into the winner's enclosure as it all gets a bit emotional for what is proving a very favourable victory, even if it is the upset of the day.
4:10pm - The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase
1. Arlequin D’Alier - 40/1
2. Chic Name - 70/1
3. Diesel D’Allier - 40/1
4. Easysland - 16/1
5. Fact Of the Matter - NON-RUNNER
6. Josies Orders - 50/1
7. Kingswell Theatre - 200/1
8. Might Bite - 11/1
9. Neverushacon - 30/1
10. Outlander - 150/1
11. Out Sam - 40/1
12. Sumkindofking - 150/1
13. Tiger Roll - 4/5
14. Urgent De Gregaine - 14/1
15. Utility - NON-RUNNER
16. Yanworth - 14/1
Cross Country Steeple Chase
There will be a fair few who fancy a bit of Might Bite, who makes his Cross County debut here today in the 4:10pm, but how can anyone back against Tiger Roll, the smallest horse with the biggest of bites. With four Festival wins to his name already and two Grand Nationals, it could be quite the celebration if Tiger Roll does it again.
Cross Country Steeple Chase
The field clears the first three fences on the cross country course before swinging around the Aintree Fence, with the ground too damaged to use this week, and the field slows down sensibly to take the tight turn before continuing on their way. Tiger Roll is in midfield, though the pack is strung out early on.
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