The Trackside Live team bring you updates from Cheltenham including paddock reports, key market movers, results and reaction.
- King Rasko Grey strikes for Ireland in opening Turners' Novices Hurdle
- Majborough - trained by Willie Mullins - favourite for the Champion Chase
- Patrick Mullins has leading claims in the closing Champion Bumper
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16:00 - BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
Paddock Notes
3 Found A Fifty - very warm and tense in the pre-parade, tight through the back as a result
4 Il Etait Temps - exactly as expect to see; doesn’t jump out, quite unassuming type, looks better in the coat than Ascot
8 Majborough - early signs tense; second handler had to be added
5 Irish Panther - very defined behind, not much length to neck, good level of fitness
9 Quilixios - very defined for a horse who has been off the track for a year; looks well in the coat
2 Captain Guinness - both de Bromhead horses not lacking for fitness; good level of rib definition
8 Majborough - calmed with two handlers, hard fit over ribs and quarters, no concerns at present
7 Libberty Hunter - looks well; tends to appeal, always has rib and quarter definition
1 Brookie - heavy set type, doesn’t appeal on fitness
8 Majborough - switched to paddock, busy but very much under wraps compared to last year, very fit
8 Majborough - starting to get sweaty and on toes
10 Saint Segal - late to paddock, fine level of fitness
15:20 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
Paddock Notes
1 Stumptown - plain through the coat, others appeal more
6 Pied Piper - big moving chestnut, has always had a touch of class about him, fit
10 Horantzau d'Airy - Red hood but been fairly calm, doesn’t appeal physically
4 Vanillier - big solid grey; fit and well, like
7 Fakir d'Oudairies - tall and upright, a touch fussy but no major concerns
13 The Goffer - long backed and lengthy, never appeals physically, okay fitness
3 Final Orders - not the biggest in the field but moves well, fine
2 Favori De Champdou - compact and muscular; no fitness questions
8 Velvet Elvis - very keen and fussy, others preferred
5 Conflated - least liked of the Elliott runners; bit heavy set
9 Desertmore House - smaller sort, okay
11 Minella Crooner - fit and fine, fair level of definition behind
12 Latenightpass - little dull through the coat, no major concerns, fit
14 Famous Bridge - has come into coat, shining, looks well
Paddock Verdict
4 Vanillier and 6 Pied Piper best pair
Full Result
1st Final Orders 7/1
2nd Favori De Champdou 2/1 fav
3rd Vanillier 13/2
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Reaction from winning connections
Winning rider Conor Stone-Walsh told ITV Racing: “He’s small but the ground is a big factor and he jumped brilliantly. He’s so brave, it’s all down to him and the team at home.
“It’s my third year riding here – was second twice last year – and I’m delighted to get the win.
“It’s unreal – to get a winner at any of these big festivals is great.”
14:40 - BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
Paddock Notes
9 Kopeck De Mee - best of the Mullins horses, tall and well muscled
18 Dargiannini - has plenty of size for frame; fit but others appeal more
14 Kateira - tends to present well but has to be flagged as early positive; relaxed with a lovely shine to coat
2 Ballyadam - solid and muscular, likeable type, catches the eye
21 Bunting - little plain; fit and fine
4 Lucky Place - looks a bit heavy; seen him look sharper this season
3 Storm Heart - compact and well muscled, no major negatives
22 Minella Rescue - little busy, has got a touch warm but no major issues, fine
11 Iberico Lord - looks better than last start when winning; catches the eye
10 Jingko Blue - muscular and balanced, fine
20 Beckett Rock - has got warm early, sweating, needs to settle
1 The Yellow Clay - fit and well, red hood but very relaxed
19 Franciscan Rock - sweating heavily, concern
8 Puturhandstogether - one of the better ones; fit and strong. tuned to the minute, so fit and muscular, positive
17 Rambo T - good shine to coat, walks well, fine
7 Colonel Mustard - plain compared to some of these, others appeal more
16 Give It To Me OJ - tall and angular, looks well
5 Buddy One - muscled over hind end, fine
24 HMS Seahorse - little and agile; fit
6 Farren Glory - very hot and sweaty
12 Guard Duty - tends to appeal, looks fit and well
Paddock Verdict
8 Puturhandstogether and 14 Kateira clear standouts, 19 Franciscan Rock negative
Full Result
1st Jingko Blue 9/2 fav
2nd Franciscan Rock 50/1
3rd Storm Heart 5/1
4th Ballyadam 40/1
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsReaction from winning connections
Winning jockey James Bowen, on riding his second Cheltenham Festival winner, told ITV Racing: “I don’t know why i found it so hard previously!
“I’m very proud of Sean [Bowen, Champion Jockey] and hopefully vice versa, I just can’t believe it – I don't know what to say.
“I didn't want to make the running, but I got off to a flyer. He’s such a good horse.”
“Winning trainer Nicky Henderson added: “I thought James's ride was interesting – it wasn't the plan – but he did it exceptionally well.
“He’s not the easiest horse to keep on the right side of, but when he’s good he’s very good.”
Paddock Notes
10 Romeo Coolio - tight and stressy in the preliminaries; needs to settle. No fitness questions but more uptight than DRF.
2 Final Demand - poor through the coat, big scopey type but doesn’t appeal on appearance
11 Rusmount - very warm and plain compared to some of these
4 Kaid d'Authie - big, relaxed horse. Aesthetically he doesn’t jump out but presenting similar to DRF
6 Koktail Divin - well balanced, chasing type. Has got a little warm but calm head on shoulders and makes early appeal.
5 Kitzbuhel - smaller than many of stablemates but well made and tidy in appearance. Likeable.
3 Joystick - big and raw, tends to present that way; doesn’t appeal against some of these
7 Now Is The Hour - neat, compact and fit
1 Argento Boy - always appeals physically, lovely grey, well balanced, fit and fine
14 Wendigo - have seen look fitter over course of year, probably better at Newbury. Fine at best.
12 Salver - big rangy sort; wears red hood but hasn’t turned a hair, fit and well
13 Thomas Mor - big classic chaser with a leg in each corner, well made and looks well
8 Oscars Brother - good walker, compact and together, fine
15 Western Fold - improved from Ireland; fitter. Compact and together.
5 Kitzbuhel - very stressy in the paddock, will be adding a second handler shortly we’d expect
Paddock Verdict
6 Koktail Divin best, 8 Oscars Brother at a longer price. Concerns over 10 Romeo Coolio; has been very stressy in pre-parade
Full Result
1st Kitzbuhel 11/1
2nd Final Demand 7/2
3rd Salver 25/1
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Winning rider Harry Cobden told ITV Racing: “No Drama The End was my best chance this week and I had no luck, everywhere I went I got stopped and I was always too far back.
“And then 40 minutes changes your life.
“He [Kitzbuhel] is a phenomenal horse and I was delighted to be on board.
“He was brilliant, very brave, but was lugging right so I had to switch him a bit and make them come around me.
“He was so brave everywhere, very tough, and delivered everytime I asked him.”
Winning trainer Willie Mullins added: “It was a hell of a performance to make all and then fight off a top horse in Final Demand. I thought he had his measure, but what a brave performance.
“Things didn’t go right for him the last day but he bounced back today.”
Paddock Notes
16 Skylight Hustle - not much size, small in stature rather than weak, well defined behind, quiet demeanour
13 Riskaway - preferred physically of the Gordon Elliott runners, big physical stamp, one for fences down the line
8 I'll Sort That - whippy, agile physical profile; high level of rib definition
20 Taurus Bay - has appealed in the past, neat, well balanced physical, best of the Pauling runners seen this week so far
5 Fortune Timmy - the yard tend to have big types; this one has size, but still neat and tidy to the eye, fit
15 Shuttle Diplomacy - lovely, free moving type. Has the size for fences down the line, lovely demeanour.
1 Act Of Innocence - best appearance sighted all season, highest level of muscle definition, nice way about him
12 No Drama This End - presenting better than he did at Newbury; athletic, rangy sort with the big walk to match, fit and well
21 Walks In June - angular and slender, fit for frame
7 Hurricane Pat - compact type; little tight through the front end and tense, would prefer him to settle and relax
19 Sortudo - has got a touch warm, big framed horse who will develop more as the years go on
9 King Rasko Grey - big physical sort, one for fences down the line, solid, leg in each corner type
2 Ballyfad - improved fitness wise from DRF, easy enough demeanour, fine
22 Zeus Power - serious horse, has a real level of quality compared to some of these, big and powerful frame, shine to coat
14 Saint Baco - doesn’t catch the eye amongst the Mullins battalion, fine at best
11 Laurets d'Estruval - one of the nicer Mullins horses, has a nice way about him and looks well balanced
3 Bossman Jack - lengthy and moves well, fit
6 Free Spirit - compact and solid, well muscled
17 Sober - doesn’t overly catch the eye, little plain and workmanlike, probably one of the better ones from the team
10 Klimt Madrik - tends to present well; red hood and two handlers but easily managed, fit
Paddock Verdict
1 Act Of Innocence clear best; like the 22 Zeus Power at a price. 19 Sortudo getting very warm; negative
Full Result
1st King Rasko Grey 11/1
2nd Act Of Innocence 10/1
3rd Zeus Power 50/1
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Winning rider Paul Townend told ITV Racing: “I love this horse. I couldnt believe the last day the way he wilted but it made a man of him that day.
“He’s still a little babyish, but it brought him on a lot.”
Winning trainer Willie Mullins added: “I couldn't believe the price. I never thought he’d be 11/1.
“We thought he had a good chance of winning - you never have a banker - but I thought he’d be about 3/1. I said after the race that he would step forward.
“It’s great for the [owners] Turleys who had to withdraw their horse [Galopin Des Champs] last week.”
Market Movers
There hasn’t been much movement so far in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, with Sortudo and Skylight Hustle nibbled at bigger prices into around 9/1. Sortudo chased home the prolific I’ll Sort That at Naas but is shorter than that rival.
Fellow Closutton residents Final Demand and Kaid d’Authie - one of Ben Linfoot’s selections today – are proving popular in the Brown Advisory, with Romeo Coolio easy to back at the top of the market.
And the money has come for one of the yard’s Champion Chase runners, but it’s second-string Il Etait Temps (who is now 3/1) rather than favourite Majborough who may yet go off odds-against.
Away from the Mullins camp, Favori De Champdou is a rock-solid 7/4 chance for the Cross-Country, with some support for stablemate Piped Piper (now 10s) at bigger prices.
Finally, it’s another Gordon Elliott-trained runner, Keep Him Company, who is now the clear favourite in the closing Champion Bumper as he bids to deny Mullins a remarkable 15th win in the race.
Welcome to live coverage of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
The first race on day two is at 13:20 and it's a competitive renewal of the Turners Novices' Hurdle after which comes the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, the love-it-or-leave-it Cross-Country Chase, and then a fascinating renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase which sees Majborough bid to atone for last year's defeat in the Arkle.
Our build-up to the opening race will feature the main market movers of the day, but for now a word on the going, which is Good to Soft, Good in places.
Some news on non-runners first: 13:20 Came From Nowhere (4), while two are out of the 14:00, Predators Gold (9) and The Big Westerner (16).
Join us later for paddock reports and selections from the Trackside Live team, results as they cross the line, reaction from connections, and plenty more.
Cheltenham Festival coverage
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