Cheltenham Day 2 Review: Delta Work denies Tiger Roll on his final race

The Cross Country Chase is the marmite race of the Festival. You either love it or you don't want anything to do with it. Well that wasn't the case this year, as Tiger Roll would be competing for the last time. All eyes were firmly on the race, with many hoping for one last major victory for the legend.

However, there's always someone, or some horse in this case, that ruins the party. The market didn't miss him, and it was Tiger Roll's stablemate, Delta Work, who caught him close home in what was hands down the best race of the day.

I don't think I've ever heard racing fans boo a horse crossing the line in first place before, but that's exactly what happened when Delta Work won and Tiger Roll's fate was sealed.

The two time Grand National champion and five time Festival winner received a hero's welcome when brought back in from the track.

Happy retirement old champ, you deserve it.

No bother in the Ballymore for Mullins

With conditions completely different to the Festival's opening day, it was Sir Gerhard who delivered for the punters in the Ballymore. Mullins' horse stalked Journey With Me throughout the race, as Paul Nicholls' Stage Star struggled to settle and failed to compete, having been fairly well fancied beforehand.

Racing prominently, Sir Gerhard was able to go past Journey With Me two furlongs out. The latter took a crashing fall at the final fence, allowing Three Stripe Life and Kevin Blake's tip Whatdeawant to fill the place spots.

However, the best news out of the race saw Journey With Me up and fine afterwards.

As mentioned, Three Stripe Life, who had the perfect trip throughout the race, battled on bravely to finish second, but Sir Gerhard had too much class and winged every single fence to win going away.

"We like the rain," Paul Townend said after the race, grinning...8/11 very much looked like a gift after that performance. Was this the beginning of the Irish comeback?

Venetia Williams wins Bravemansgame-less Brown Advisory

The biggest shock saw Paul Nicholls' Bravemansgame pulled out of the Brown Advisory, less than 20 minutes before the off due to the conditions.

That mean that L'Homme Presse and Ahoy Senor were the two clear favourites in the betting, although Gordon Elliott's Farouk D'alene was heavily supported before the off, expected to relish the conditions, which were described as "heavy" by Harry Cobden after the first.

Ahoy Senor's jumping wasn't convincing early on, allowing L'Homme Presse and Charlie Deutsch to go on in front with 12 fences to go. This wasn't Ahoy Senor's last error, as he made a further one five out, allowing L'Homme Presse to press on by a length or two.

And that's how it finished, with Farouk D'alene falling at the last when looking to challenge on the outside hitting 1.9110/11 in running. Would he have gone close? I'm not convinced, as L'Homme Presse stayed on well, ears pricked and despite Ahoy Senor fighting back from several errors, he simply wasn't good enough to come out on top.

Fancy Venetia Williams' horse as a future Gold Cup star? He's 16/1 to win in 2023.

It's safe to say the conditions were proving to be a factor...

Commander's Coral Cup for Elliott

Despite Kevin Blake's NAP being backed into a share of favouritism, Drop The Anchor did exactly that and was well beaten as the Coral Cup once again threw up a big priced winner.

Gordon Elliott's Commander Of Fleet at 51.050/1 held off Fastorslow 15.014/1 in a thrilling finish, with the field well spread out across the track in treacherous conditions. Ashdale Bob tired into third having attempted to make all the running, with Camprond coming home in fourth and Maze Runner finishing in fifth at 41.040/1.

The Irish were back on the board and they seemed to be relishing the conditions, with more and more non-runners being declared due to the heavy ground.

Irish land the Champion Chase

Shishkin v Energumene. Well, it was not quite what we hoped for was it? Shiskin never travelled and was pulled up very early on by Nico De Boinville. It soon became a one-horse race when Chacun Pour Soi crashed out down the back of the track, allowing Energumene 4.03/1 to stalk Williams' Funambule Sivola 41.040/1 and the well backed Envoi Allen, before pulling clear to win going away after jumping the last.

Fair play to Williams' horses, who we all know relish the heavy ground, and Funambule Sivola was no different in the big race on Day 2.

It's fair to say Paul Townend's grin was still firmly on his face again after landing the big one. You could hear plenty of bet slips being torn up after Shishkin's surprise performance. A double on the day for the Irishman.

Tiger Roll so close to a fairytale finish

If there's one race to go back and watch this evening, it is definitely the Cross Country Chase, as both of Elliott's horses battled it out, with Delta Work spoiling the tiger party in the final strides.

On Tiger Roll's last ever run, he drifted out to 4.507/2 pre-race, due to the sheer amount of rain on the track, but it didn't seem to bother the superstar, who ran a blinder, hitting 1.132/15 in-running - only to denied by Jack Kennedy on Delta Work.

Sadly it wasn't to be for the legend, who received one hell of a reception when strolling back in from the course, but it was another victory for the Irish...

Stick with us as Daryl Carter will be back in the hot seat to review the key action on Day 3 of the Festival tomorrow.