Cheltenham Day Two Tips – Monkfish & Chacun Pour Soi popular with punters

Day Two of Cheltenham Festival takes place on Wednesday, with the bookmakers hoping for a few more upsets than on Day One.

We had a winner with Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle, with Rachael Blackmore becoming the first female jockey ever to win that event.

Odds-on favourites Appreciate It and Shishkin absolutely romped home in the opening two races, although Concertista was narrowly pipped by Black Tears (11/1) in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Indeed, there were a few long-priced winners, with former Grand National winner Vintage Clouds (28/1) rolling back the years in the Handicap Chase and Jeff Kiddler (80/1) winning the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

Onto day two, then, and two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll will certainly receive plenty of attention in the 15:40 Cross Country.

However, now 11-years-old, this legendary horse has it all to do against odds-on favourite Easysland, who comfortably pipped Tiger Roll in this race last year.

The 15:05 Champion Chase is generally considered the most prestigious race of day two, although the exit of two-time winner Altior has left Chacun Pour Soi as another odds-on favourite.

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins are always a strong combination, especially on a horse which has won six of his last seven races, with the rest of the field all in double figures.

There are a few concerns over Chacun Pour Soi, though, with a stiff track likely to test a horse whose character has not always been peerless.

Put The Kettle On (10/1), another of Henry de Bromhead’s fine horses, won the Arkle last year and could be the one to take Mullins on with.

Sky Bet are offering up to £10 back in cash on losing bets in the opening race again, with de Bromhead and Mullins going head-to-head again with Bob Olinger (7/4) and Gaillard du Mesnil (2/1).

However, given you can use essentially free money in the 13:20 Ballymore, I’m keen on Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame at 4/1.

He’s effective on soft or good ground and has won his last three races, so I think he can push the leading two all of the way at a fair price.

Monkfish (1/3) is the shortest price of the day in the 13:55 Brown Advisory and should comfortably land Townend and Mullins a winner.

They’ll be hoping it’s not their only one.