Cheltenham Festival 2024 LIVE: Results, tips and latest odds from day 3

Nicky Henderson has reacted to his overall poor results on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival by withdrawing several runners on day two, including Queen Mother Champion Chase hope Jonbon.

Henderson went into this year’s Festival under a cloud following the withdrawal of Champion Hurdle title holder Constitution Hill and a disappointing run of form from his stable as a whole. Luccia provided the Seven Barrows handler with a boost when finishing third behind State Man in the Champion Hurdle, but his other five runners on Tuesday were all pulled up.

A trio of horses were withdrawn from Wednesday’s action and a separate statement also confirmed that Gold Cup contender Shishkin also wouldn’t run in the main event on Friday.

Henderson initially posted on X: “I’m afraid we have had to make some very tough decisions following the very disappointing performances of all bar one of our horses yesterday. It was there for all to see that there is obviously something affecting nearly all our horses and consequently we have reluctantly decided that Jonbon, First Street and Kingston Pride will not run today.

“It is impossible to identify any reason for all the disappointments and none of these horses have given us any cause for concern and all yesterday’s runners were scoped clean post race and I am glad to say all are sound this morning. There will unfortunately be further non-runners on Thursday and Friday.”

In spite of an onslaught of early rain threatening to dampen spirits as well as the course, Rachael Blackmore ensured the Cheltenham Festival began with a bang in a wonderful ride atop Slade Steel for the opening race of the week, the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

With spectators gathered around the grandstand, a false start scuppered the chance for an expectedly loud Cheltenham roar as sighs of disappointment met the horses instead as they led off. In an almost stubborn response, the gathered crowds were rewarded with a tantalising and fantastic opening race.

Blackmore marshalled Slade Steel beautifully over the deteriorating ground and waited for her moment. She held her horse just on the outside of the pack as the favourite, Tullyhill, and Tellherthename jostled for the lead upfront. With three fences to go, a sense of nervous anticipation settled on the watching onlookers who wondered if she’d left it too late to make a move.

Cheltenham Festival returns for day two with Style Wednesday ready to provide more thrills after an action-packed opening day.

There will be 21 races to enjoy with Friday’s finale featuring the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins will be looking to make it six years in a row as the trainer with the most wins at the Festival, while his jockey Paul Townend has been the outstanding rider in three of the past four years.

The jockey who broke that streak, Rachael Blackmore, will also be riding at Cheltenham this year.

Tickets are being sold to the general public across the four days. There are a number of options, including the Club Enclosure, the Tattersalls Enclosure and Best Mate Enclosure, which is the cheapest with prices from £52 per person. Grandstand tickets have sold out.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first five races of the day on ITV 1, with coverage on the channel beginning at 1pm GMT every day until 4.30pm GMT. The races can also be streamed online via ITVX.

There is also a preview show each morning from 8.30am GMT to 10am GMT which is shown on ITV4 and ITVX.

The final two races of each day will not be shown on ITV but fans wanting to watch can do so via Racing TV. Subscriptions for the channel, which shows every race from the festival, are available through Sky and Virgin Media and online through its website and app.

Coverage on Racing TV begins at 12.30pm GMT every day, with coverage ending after the final race.

Every sport has its peak. That one test of endurance, ability, skill, and luck. For professional footballers and rugby stars it would be the World Cup, England cricketers may point to the Ashes, for National Hunt jockeys? That pinnacle is the Cheltenham Festival.

At Cheltenham there’s a champion race each day with Tuesday hosting the Champion Hurdle, Wednesday the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Thursday the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and Friday culminating with the 100th anniversary of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

We’re past the halfway of the Cheltenham Festival with two quality days already in the bag.

Paul Townend still leads the way in the jockey standings after his win on Ballyburn yesterday took him to four for the week but he’s being tracked by Rachael Blackmore on two following here victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Harry Skelton (also two) won won the Coral Cup and the Grand Annual Handicap.

Willie Mullins also brought up his 100th winner at the Cheltenham Festival when his son Patrick triumphed in the Champion Bumper and the Irish trainer looks set for more winners today.

Yesterday there was excitement, there was drama and St. Patrick’s Thursday promises to follow suit with the headline race being the Stayers’ Hurdle.

We’ll have all the latest updates, odds and tips throughout the day so stick with us.