Il Etait Temps wins Queen Mother Champion Chase

Il Etait Temps powered over the line in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to earn trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at Cheltenham Festival.

Majborough was the odds-on favourite to claim victory in the big race of the day but a poor jumping display made it an impossible victory.

A mistake at the final fence almost cost Il Etait Temps the win, but jockey Paul Townend steered him over the line at the Festival’s first Ladies Day in five years.

“There was a lot of work put into this horse after Ascot so I have a lot of people to thank,” Townend told ITV Racing. “It shows how tough this lad is. He’s such a courageous horse again today. He was flat as a pan everywhere.

“I wasn’t going to force him but he just found his rhythm.”

Mullins told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “Out of the corner of my eye I could see Paul Townend thinking ‘now we have a horse race’.

“He started to get confident and he planned his move around the last bend.”

Libberty Hunter, priced at 50-1, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s horse, L’eau Du Sud, finished third.

The first winner of the day for Mullins came in the opening race with 11-1 shot King Rasko Grey powering over the finish line.

Act of Innocence, ridden by Nico de Boinville, followed up in second.

Mullins was “disappointed” with his horses in Tuesday’s Supreme Hurdle, but King Rasko Grey’s “form worked out”.

He told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “We were all disappointed with our horses in the Supreme, but his form worked out. The day we bought him from the sales, he looked like a really smooth mover.

“I am very happy. When I saw them here on Monday, my worry was they looked too well.

“I don’t think I have seen my team on the gallop look so well, but they are racing well.”

It was a Mullins one-two in the Novices’ Chase with a brilliant jumping display from 11-1 chance Kitzbuhel allowing him to hold off the challenge of 7-2 shot Final Demand.

Jockey Harry Cobden labelled Kitzbuhel a “phenomenal little horse”.

He told ITV: “He’s braver than I am, this little chap. He’s a phenomenal horse.

Trainer Nicky Henderson recorded his victory of the day when 9-2 favourite Jingko Blue finished in front of 50-1 shot Franciscan Rock in the Handicap Hurdle.

HMS Seahorse fell at the final hurdle and, after veterinary attention on course, was euthanised. Two horses have died at the 2026 Festival.

English trainer Venetia Williams got a surprise first win of the Festival when 66-1 Martator denied Jazzy Matty back-to-back Grand Annual wins.

The nine-year-old, ridden by jockey Charlie Deutsch, crossed the line alongside Cian Collins’ horse, resulting in the first photo finish of the Festival.

Gavin Cromwell-trained 7-1 shot Final Orders won the Cross Country Chase after a fine display of jumping.

The syndicate owned horse finished in front of bookies favourite Favori De Champdou.

Final Orders syndicate owner Joe Deacon told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “There are 10 of us in the syndicate.

“We have been together since back in 2019. We have had tremendous success with the horse – he has brought us to the finest course in England and Ireland.

“We are a group of people brought together by the horse, and all good friends. I feel like I ran as far and as quick as him [Final Orders].

“We were here in 2023, and we didn’t get a chance to show. We were very quiet today for the first part of the race.

“He led from the off. Just to watch him and keep quiet, but knowing the ground felt for him. He [Conor Stone-Walsh] did a fantastic job riding him.