Cheltenham Festival day two – No Altior, but Champion classic in store

And all eyes on National hero Tiger Roll.

It had been billed as one of the battles of the week, the young pretenders Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi squaring up to reigning champ Altior on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Clearly, given events earlier in the week, the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is not quite the contest we had all envisaged.

Altior’s absence will no doubt be keenly felt, but we must soldier on and instead enjoy what has become a potential head-to-head between Philip Hobbs’ Defi Du Seuil and Willie Mullins’ Chacun Pour Soi.

Defi Du Seuil already has two Festival wins to his credit in the 2017 Triumph Hurdle and last year’s JLT, while Chacun Pour Soi had him well beaten at Punchestown. An enthralling contest is surely in prospect this afternoon – and Defi Du Seuil’s rider Barry Geraghty will be relishing it after triumphing in the same colours in the Champion Hurdle aboard Epatante.

Away from the main event, it could be a big day for Gordon Elliott with Grand National winner Tiger Roll and top novice Envoi Allen both strutting their stuff.

Willie Mullins is also gunning for gold in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper – a race he has claimed no less than nine times.

National hero

Tiger Roll will surely bring the house down he can claim a third Glenfarclas Chase, and fifth Festival win overall. The dual Grand National hero has successfully used this cross-country heat as an Aintree warm up for the last two years.

Envoi to have last word?

Envoi Allen carries this year’s ‘banker’ tag as he lines up in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle. Despite a last-minute temptation to go for the Supreme from Elliott, last term’s Champion Bumper hero goes for gold over two miles and five furlongs and there will be plenty of long faces if he doesn’t win.

Champ?

Champ was last seen crashing out at the penultimate fence at this track on New Year’s Day. It is slightly odd for the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase favourite to have fallen last time out, but perhaps he will prove all the doubters wrong.

No Panic for Harding

Champion jockey-elect Brian Hughes gets a chance to shine on the biggest stage as he teams up with David Pipe’s Panic Attack in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. The filly won her only start for Willie Mullins before being snapped up by Bryan Drew and Hughes is the man who will be scraping down to 10st 4lb on his only ride of the day.

Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.

Latest