The Guide to Cheltenham: Day Two

Welcome to day two of the four-day guide to the 2011 Cheltenham Festival. This guide was written to give you the basic information for all four days of the festival, and more in-depth information on the days’ major races.

Despite day one setting the bar impressively high, day two at Cheltenham will do everything but disappoint. Three popular Grade 1 races take place here, including the legendary Queen Mother Champion Chase acting as the day’s anchor.

You can find links to days one, three and four at the bottom of the article. 

Day Two Schedule

Major Races

Just like day one, day two sees seven races get underway, three of them being worth a closer look. These three races include: Neptune Novices’ Hurdle, The RSA Chase and The Champion Chase.

Neptune Novices’ Hurdle

Run every year since 1971 (aside from the 2001 Foot and Mouth disease cancellation), this is considered one of the top contests for novice hurdlers who run beyond the 2m110y distance that we see in the Supreme Novices. Notably, this is one of the few Cheltenham races to be won by a Polish horse when Galileo (not the one you’re thinking about) scored here with Jason Maguire up in 2002. The race runs 2m5f and there are ten hurdles to be navigated.

• The past three winners of the Neptune Novices’ all boasted undefeated seasons in the build-up to their win. Notably, Fiveforthree scored here after a single ungraded prep race a month before.
• You may want to look at contenders who have acquitted themselves well beyond the 2m5f distance.
• Willie Mullins-trained contenders scored in 2008 and 2009 and Ruby Walsh has been in the irons in both instances.

The RSA Chase

A very popular destination for up and coming chasers, this 3m110y contest features nineteen fences to be jumped and has been a proving ground for future superstars. Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman conquered this race in 2007 and then followed it up with a Gold Cup score the following year. The legendary Arkle stamped his name on the RSA Chase back in 1963 and went on to set a new standard in chasing.

• Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins are the only conditioners to have taken the race twice in the past ten years; Nicholls took consecutive scores in 2006-2007.
• The past two winners have hit the board in the PJ Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown.
• Ruby Walsh is the only jockey to win twice in the past decade.
• Several recent winners won the RSA during their first year in chasing.

The Champion Chase

The key race on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is considered to be the premier short-distance contest over fences on the entire National Hunt calendar. Contenders go about 2m over twelve fences and punters will be looking forward to the latest iteration of the ongoing Master Minded vs. Big Zeb battle that has raged in recent years.

• Master Minded and Big Zeb have combined to win the past three editions, Master Minded taking 2008-2009 and Big Zeb conquering in the last outing with Master Minded running a tame fourth.
• The only recent contender to win non-consecutive editions of this race is Jessica Harrington’s Moscow Flyer who won in 2003 and 2005. You have to go back to 1974 when Royal Relief followed up a score in 1972.
• Master Minded is the only contender to win at age 6 since Inkslinger in 1973.

The Guide to Cheltenham by day:

The Guide to Cheltenham: Day 1
The Guide to Cheltenham: Day 2
The Guide to Cheltenham: Day 3
The Guide to Cheltenham: Day 4