Through the card tips on day two of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival
The Champion Chase headlines the card on Ladies' Day
Nube Negra is our each way selection in the Queen Mother
Ahoy Senor, Sir Gerhard and American Mike also feature in our day two tips
Expired
Tiger Roll winning his fourth Cross Country Chase in 2021. (Getty)
Following a stunning first day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival, the big race action rolls into Wednesday, also known as Ladies' Day.
The Champion Chase tops the billing and this year's renewal promises to be an absolute classic. We've also got two further Grade Ones and the Champion Bumper to enjoy, along with two big handicaps and Tiger Roll's swansong in the Cross Country.
Here are my selections through the card on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Day Two Tips
Cheltenham Festival Day Two Card
Race 1 - Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Tips
Race 2 - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips
Race 3 - Coral Cup Tips
Race 4 - Champion Chase Tips
Race 5 - Cross Country Chase Tips
Race 6 - Grand Annual Chase Tips
Race 7 - Champion Bumper Tips
Cheltenham Festival Day Two Card
Time
Title
Status
Trip
1:30pm
Ballymore Novices' Hurdle
Grade 1
2m5f
2:10pm
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
Grade 1
3m½f
2:50pm
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
Grade 3
2m5f
3:30pm
Queen Mother Champion Chase
Grade 1
2m
4:10pm
Cross Country Chase
Class 2
3m6f
4:50pm
Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Grade 3
2m
5:30pm
Champion Bumper
Grade 1
2m½f
Cheltenham Festival Day Two Tips - Wednesday 16th March
This isn't a vintage renewal of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle. Journey With Me is decent, but he's not the next Bob Olinger. Stage Star hasn't beaten much and the other runners offer little appeal to me.
At the ante-post stage, I tipped Three Stripe Life each-way at 14/1. I'm delighted to see Gordon Elliott's charge run here instead of the Supreme and I'm confident he'll run a solid race.
SIR GERHARD was my other selection. We managed to get 7/4 if you followed me in at the ante-post stage. Willie Mullins' charge is clearly the best horse in this race and I can't see this step up in distance causing the two-time Grade One winner any problems. It could even take the pressure off his jumping and bring about further improvement.
I think Sir Gerhard is a good thing, so he'll be my best bet, as Three Stripe Life is now a little too short for an each way bet. I'll also suggest a reverse forecast including my two ante-post tips, just to make things a little more interesting.
To my dismay, Galopin Des Champs does indeed head for a clash with Bob Olinger in the Turners. I was hoping Willie Mullins might change his mind and switch back to the Brown Advisory Chase, as I've backed Galopin at a tasty ante-post price. Now the switch has been finalised, I've just got to accept that he won't be running and settle on another selection.
Galopin Des Champs' absence means we've got a cracking renewal of this Grade One to enjoy, and Britain might actually get a winner on the board. Bravemansgame tops the market, ahead of Turners' defector L'Homme Presse. Both Paul Nicholls and Venetia Williams will fancy their chances of landing another Grade One, but I'm not sure Cheltenham is Bravemansgame's ideal track and we've got no idea if L'Homme Presse will see out the trip.
AHOY SENOR beat Bravemansgame in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree last season. Lucinda Russell's talented seven-year-old surprisingly fell when still going well on his chase debut in the Colin Parker, before putting that tumble well behind him with a power-packed victory in the John Francombe at Newbury.
Derek Fox's mount was done for pace around Kempton when second to Bravemansgame in the Kauto Star. Ahoy Senor returned to winning ways in the Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby, where his jumping wasn't perfect, but he was still able to give weight to Noble Yeats and Ashtown Lad and beat them rather easily.
Russell took Ahoy Senor to Kelso for a schooling session last weekend and, by all accounts, Fox's mount jumped brilliantly. The track at Cheltenham will suit this big, strong galloper and good-to-soft ground would be ideal.
I firmly believe that Ahoy Senor will be challenging in next year's Gold Cup. At the prices, he'll be my sole selection.
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase Tips Best Bet - AHOY SENOR
Derek Fox riding Ahoy Senor in action during The Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton Park. (Getty)
Emmet Mullins has decided to make the most of The Shunter's lower hurdles mark and run last year's Paddy Power Plate winner in this handicap. The Shunter has jumped to the top of the betting ahead of Good Risk At All, who'll need one runner to come out just to get a run in the Coral Cup.
As usual, this race looks incredibly open. I've already backed GRAND ROI, who was the beaten favourite in last year's Coral Cup, and will be ridden by Davy Russell this year.
I don't think Jack Kennedy gave Grand Roi a great ride last year, where the favourite was restrained off the pace and beaten 15-lengths back in 12th. Despite three highly respectable efforts in top-level hurdles races this term, Grand Roi will run off the same mark of 149 he was fancied off last year and this time, Davy Russell is in the saddle.
I'm also going to back ASHDALE BOB, who bypassed Cheltenham last year in favour of the Grade Two novice hurdle at Fairyhouse, which he won by neck. After a few runs over fences, Jessica Harrington's seven-year-old has returned to hurdling with two strong placed efforts in a couple of big Graded races. This opening handicap mark of 152 doesn't seem too harsh and Jack Foley takes a valuable three pounds off his back.
Shishkin has already won the Supreme and the Arkle, and I'd love to see Nicky Henderson's star add the Champion Chase to his CV.
Everything fell right for Energumene the two met for the first time in the Clarence House, yet Shishkin was still able to get up and win. Chacun Pour Soi has run well under-par on his two previous visit to England. Envoi Allen has lost his way and last year's winner, Put The Kettle On has been out-of-form all season long.
NUBE NEGRA was my ante-post selection and I still think he's the best bet in this race at an each-way price. Dan Skelton's charge was unlucky to only finish second in this race 12 months ago and absolutely trounced Politologue and Put The Kettle On in the Shloer Chase on his reappearance.
I have no idea why the Skelton's even ran Nube Negra in the Tingle Creek. He's a much better horse when fresh, so running on tacky ground on the back of a three-week lay-off was a crazy move. Nube Negra has been laid out for a second tilt at the Champion Chase and I don't see any reason why he can't feature in the finish once again.
Champion Chase Tips Value Bet - NUBE NEGRA E/W
Harry Skelton riding Nube Negra clear the last to win The Shloer Chase at Cheltenham. (Getty)
The roof will come off Prestbury Park if Tiger Roll can match Quevega's record of six Cheltenham Festival victories by winning his fourth Cross Country Chase. This will likely be Tiger Roll's final race and the stage seems set for Gordon Elliott's legendary chaser to go out on a high.
I can't imagine Gigginstown will let Tiger Roll get beaten by one of their own, so I can't see Delta Work winning this year. JP McManus runs four to try and spoil Tiger Roll's retirement party, but I don't really fancy any of them.
DIESEL D'ALLIER loves the Cross Country course at Cheltenham. Harry Banister's mount finish a close second in a handicap here in November, before claiming a narrow victory in a similar race at the International Meeting.
This looks like an excellent opportunity for Richard Bandey's nine-year-old to snatch a substantial slice of prize money - especially if your bookie is paying out on the first four or even five places. I'll back Diesel D'Allier each way, but Tiger Roll is the one we all want to see get the win.
Cross Country Chase Tips Value Bet - DIESEL D'ALLIER E/W
Like the Coral Cup, this year's Grand Annual looks incredibly competitive. BEFORE MIDNIGHT and EDITEUR DU GITE were my fancies at the ante-post stage, so I'm going to stick to my guns and tip both to challenge for the win.
Both have won around Cheltenham this season. Before Midnight beat Sky Pirate at the October meeting, before following up at Ascot. Sam Thomas' charge then finished fourth of four behind Shishkin and Greaneteen at Kempton, but returns to Cheltenham on the back of an excellent effort behind Funambule Sivola, who has won the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase since.
Editeur Du Gite claimed back-to-back handicap victories around Cheltenham in November and December. Gary Moore's charge won on the back of a break at Newbury last spring, before following up in the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree's Grand National meeting. Both he and Before Midnight enter the Grand Annual with a genuine chance.
Willie Mullins will unleash a fearsome assault on this year's Champion Bumper. Facile Vega looked an absolute superstar when winning at the Dublin Racing Festival and he'll spearhead Mullins' assault. Willie has won the bumper with his second, third and fourth-string runners in the past too, so I wouldn't be so foolish as to rule out Redemption Day, James's Gate or Madmansgame.
This may seem like lunacy come 5:40pm, but I'm going to take Mullins' battalion on with Gordon Elliott's AMERICAN MIKE. Bective Stud splashed out £195k to bring American Mike to Cullentra on the back of an impressive point-to-point triumph, and Elliott's five-year-old registered two hugely impressive wins earlier in the season.
Clockwatchers tell me that the times American Mike set at Down Royal and Navan were both very impressive. I also found it fascinating when someone on a preview night panel revealed that American Mike limbered up for Cheltenham with a schooling race against Gavin Cromwell's Stayer's Hurdle winner Flooring Porter, and Elliott's youngster gave a very good account of himself.
I'm expecting Jamie Codd to ride American Mike positively, knowing he's a strong stayer who will eat up the Cheltenham hill. If any of Willie's runners can pass him, then fair play to them. American Mike will be my final selection on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
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