English/Ire
ITV Insights - 11th March 2026
The team are back to preview all the action on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Turners Novices' Hurdle – Grade 1 – Cheltenham – 1.20
Ballyfad looked potentially out of the top drawer when dispatching Leader d'Allier by nine and a half lengths on his hurdling debut at Leopardstown on Boxing Day and such was the impression he created, connections opted to pitch him straight into Grade 1 company on the back of it. Gordon Elliott's charge might have suffered defeat on his next outing over hurdles, but he certainly did his claims as being a top-class novice hurdler no harm when going down a short-head to Talk The Talk in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle. After battling on well all the way to the line, it's no shock to see connections move him up to two miles five furlongs here and if that contest at the Dublin Racing Festival hasn't taken everything out of him, then this uncomplicated and sizeable five-year-old, might just prove the answer here.
Ballyfad
Brown Advisory Novices' Chase – Grade 1 – Cheltenham – 2.00
The addition of Romeo Coolio gives this further depth but whilst his Irish Arkle success took the perfect boost when Kargese landed the English equivalent yesterday, he's opposable at the prices. Koktail Divin had plenty of options and its interesting connections have plumped for the three-mile Grade 1. He seemed to relish the better ground when bolting up at Leopardstown in December and with the step up in trip expected to suit, he's just about the one to side with under Darragh O'Keefe, who made the switch from The Big Westerner.
Koktail Divin
BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) – Class 1 – Cheltenham – 2.40
Willie Mullins won this last year with a classy six-year-old and he may well do so again with either Storm Heart or Kopeck De Mee. The latter bombed out having been backed as though defeat was out of the equation in the Martin Pipe last year, but he proved that money wasn't poorly placed when going down narrowly at Aintree and he clearly didn't take to chasing last time. The form of his Aintree win has taken plenty of boosts with the likes of Grade 1 winner Impose Toi in behind and despite being 9lb higher than when running here last year, he's still thoroughly unexposed.
Kopeck De Mee
(X-Country) Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase – Class 2 – Cheltenham – 3.20
Desertmore House lacks experience at this venue but he's also relatively unexposed in the cross-country sphere. It was hard not to be impressed with how he skipped round the banks course at Punchestown in November and in receipt of 19lb from defending champion and top-weight Stumptown, he might be capable of coming out on top.
Desertmore House
BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase – Grade 1 – Cheltenham – 4.00
L'Eau du Sud comes here fresh which will certainly aid his chances, but he might not be able to cope with Majborough, who put it all together when running out a facile winner of the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown. He probably would have landed the Arkle last year but for some shoddy jumping errors, however, he jumped with absolute aplomb when scoring at the Dublin Racing Festival last time and barring major errors, Willie Mullins' charge ought to be prove tough to beat in this field.
Majborough
Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) – Class 1 - Cheltenham – 4.40
Relieved Of Duties looked potentially useful on his first two outings over fences and it's possible that he's been getting bogged down in heavy ground in recent starts. He jumped well when beating Full Of Life, who is bound for the opening Grade 1 Albert Bartlett tomorrow, on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse in October, while the form of his Grade 2 second over course and distance reads nicely in the context of this event. He now enters handicap company off a mark of 136 and now back on better ground, Gordon Elliott's charge looks dangerous to discount.
Relieved Of Duties
Weatherbys Champion Bumper – Grade 1 – Cheltenham – 5.20
Willie Mullins has won five of the last six of this and Love Sign d'Aunou, the choice of Patrick Mullins, holds obvious claims at the top of the market. However, he's probably short enough in the betting and his victory came under very testing conditions. In contrast, stablemate The Irish Avatar could be a touch overpriced, and he arguably created just as big of an impression when winning on debut at Navan. Harry Cobden takes the ride which is by no means a negative and he's too big to ignore at around 14/1.
The Irish Avatar
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