Tuesday’s action at Cheltenham gave horse racing fanatics an afternoon to savour and the rest of the week’s Festival will do well to provide as many thrills and spills as the opening day.
Wednesday’s card is dominated by the eagerly anticipated Sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase and a high class field will battle it out at Prestbury Park at 3.20pm.
Colm Murphy’s reigning champion Big Zeb is back to defend his crown in the two-mile showpiece and it would take a brave man to bet against the Irish raider powering his way to a second consecutive success at the world’s greatest race meeting.
That being said, he faces a formidable challenge in the shape of Paul Nicholls’ legendary chaser Master Minded and the dual Champion Chaser will be looking to regain his crown after he delivered one of the most breathtaking performances of all time three years ago.
Also on the card, many people’s Chelteham Festival ‘banker’ Time For Rupert takes his chance in the RSA Chase and
William Hill will be going 3/1 about the superstar from 8am this morning.
Wednesday’s card at Cheltenham
13:30 141st Year Of The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup (Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase) (5yo+, Class 2, 4m, 17 runners)
14:05 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle (Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle) (Grade 1) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 5f, 12 runners)
14:40 RSA Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 3m 110y, 12 runners)
15:20 sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) (5yo+, Class 1, 2m, 11 runners)
16:00 Coral Cup (Grade 3 Handicap Hurdle) (4yo+, Class 1, 2m 5f, 25 runners)
16:40 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (4yo, Class 1, 2m 110y, 23 runners)
17:15 Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) (4-6yo, Class 1, 2m 110y, 24 runners)
