Cheltenham Day Two live: II Etait Temps wins the Champions Chase

1.20: Winner - King Rascro Grey

2.00: Winner - Kitzbuhel

2.40: Winner: Jingko Blue

3.20: Winner: Final Orders

4.00:  Winner: Etait Temps

4.40: Winner: Martator

5.20: Winner: The Mourne Rambler

The Mourne Rambler takes the win in the final race of the day at Cheltenham. Colin Keane has won the Champion Bumbper on the gelding trained by Noel Meade.

Mets Ta Ceinture, Bass Hunter and Boycetown were all neck and neck, but it was the former pair who rounded out the top three.

The most exciting finish of the day, with a photo finish needed to separate Martator and Jazzy Matty, with Martator just about getting the win.

It is the biggest win of the day with odds of 66/1. Break My Soul finished in third.

II Etait Temps wins the Champions Chase in another winner for Willie Mullins. It is the seventh Grade One win for the horse.

He took advantage of Majborough, who made too many mistakes at vital moments.

Paul Townend pushed Il Etait Temps so hard over the last few hurdles, surviving a troubling final jump to win by a huge distance.

Libberty Hunter followed in second and then L’eau De Sud finished third. Majborough ended up being one of the last finishers.

Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios and Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud led the field into the home straight, but the eye was drawn to a motionless Paul Townend aboard Il Etait Temps – who counts former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter among his owners.

Taking the lead on the run to the final fence, the eight-year-old stumbled on the landing side but it made no difference as he galloped to a 10-length success at odds of 5-2 over the fast-finishing Libberty Hunter, who picked up the pieces for second at 50-1 ahead of L’Eau Du Sud.

It is an Irish one-two-three in the Cross Country Chase, with Final Orders the winner. Favori de Champdou finished in second.

Vanillier recovered well from a few poor jumps to take third.

A winner over the course and distance in December, Final Orders (7-1) was ridden by rising star Conor Stone-Walsh, who was winning at the Festival for the first time.

The starting procedure at the Cheltenham Festival came under scrutiny again on Wednesday, with Irish amateur Declan Queally seemingly exchanging words with Nico de Boinville prior to the Turners Novices’ Hurdle.

There was plenty of drama at the starts at the showpiece meeting 12 months ago, which has continued into this year’s Festival, with the starter’s role made more difficult by large fields heading to post.

The opening event on day two started almost four minutes later than advertised after a prolonged effort to get the 21 runners into a suitable order, with De Boinville and Queally clashing as they fought for a position close to the tapes.

Queally told Matt Chapman on ITV Racing: “The start was a bit of a mess and I got trapped back further than I wanted.

“I was being abused by an English rider Nico de Boinville and it’s not very nice. I’m an amateur coming here riding in front of my kids and that, it’s horrific.”

De Boinville responded: “Maybe he should look in the mirror.”

James Bowen quickly doubled his Cheltenham Festival haul after guiding 9-2 favourite Jingko Blue to a commanding BetMGM Cup success on Wednesday.

Backed into favouritism from a double-figure price in the morning, Bowen – who opened his Festival account in the final race on day one – was always in control aboard Nicky Henderson’s seven-year-old as he made every yard.

A host of Irish challengers loomed, but Jingko Blue was never for catching as he stormed up the Cheltenham hill to give Henderson a third winner of the week.

“He’s not the most straightforward horse, he’s always a bit creeky, but he ran a good race in the Relkeel here on Trials day and to go and win a race like this he’s earnt his corn for the year anyway that’s for sure,” said the the Seven Barrows handler.

“It will keep Tony Barney (owner) quiet for at least a day, then on Friday, god knows what happens (with Jango Baie in the Gold Cup)!

“This horse just couldn’t jump fences and he was untidy enough over hurdles to be honest, but he was good today and it was a great piece of riding, because to make the running wasn’t in plan anything!

“Even James just said he ended up there and he’s actually quickened away at the end. Nobody else got into it in the end.”

Kitzbuhel roared back to top form with an exhibition of jumping from the front before edging out Final Demand in a tremendous finish to the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trained by Willie Mullins, the six-year-old had excelled at Kempton when winning the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on Boxing Day, but was somewhat underrated in the betting at 11-1 after falling at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase.

Having come under scrutiny for his ride on No Drama This End in the opening Turners Novices’ Chase, Harry Cobden – partnering the grey for the first time – was at his brilliant best, leaving nothing to chance, finding some spectacular leaps from his mount as he led the field from start to finish.

The challengers loomed heading for home, none more so than stablemate Final Demand, who also showcased his very best to push the winner hard in the closing stages, with only three-quarters of a length separating the pair at the end of three miles.

Salver finished third for Gary and Josh Moore at 25-1, but jumping errors saw Gordon Elliott’s 9-4 favourite Romeo Coolio play no part in proceedings on his first start at three miles.

King Rascro Grey wins the first race of the day at 11/1. Willie Mullins has another winner, with Paul Townend the jockey in his 40th Cheltenham victory.

In a race where Paul Nicholls’ 5-2 favourite No Drama This End could never make his presence felt and was ultimately pulled up, it was Nicky Henderson’s Act Of Innocence who carried British hopes on his shoulders heading into the home straight, locked in battle with the Mullins raider.

However, he proved no match for the talented six-year-old, who relished every yard of the Cheltenham hill to come home two and a half lengths clear to give Townend his 40th Festival winner and also provide a welcome tonic for owner Audrey Turley after Galopin Des Champs was ruled out of the Gold Cup.

Act of Innocence comes in second, and in a scramble for their third, it looks like Zeus Power has got it.

Welcome to our live blog for the second day of Cheltenham.

The feature for the day is the Champion Chase at 4pm, where JP McManus and Willie Mullins’ Majborough is the favourite to win.

There are six other races throughout the day, starting with the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at 1.20pm.

Here is the schedule for the day.