NEPTUNE NOVICES

Racing opened with another hugely impressive display from a novice hurdler. It was not the favourite Yanworth but the Willie Mullins-trained Yorkhill (3/1) who stole the show in Graham Wylie colours, familar in the Cheltenham winners enclosure.

Held up by Ruby Walsh, he was always travelling well and after almost running into the back of a rival half a mile out, he got a dream run up the inner around the bend and was two lengths clear heading for the last which he jumped well and held Yanworth all the way to the line, the margin being a length and a quarter.

Willie Mullins said afterwards: “He could go novice chasing but I'd be minded now to go down the Champion Hurdle route with him. This fellow looks smart.” Where he fits in will be interesting but you imagine Nichols Canyon will step up to three miles leaving this horse to fill the gap. Neptune winners have a good record in the Champion.

Walsh’s comment gave no clue. "He has the pace for a Champion Hurdle but he could win the Arkle, but we'll talk about that tomorrow!"

Yanworth raced wide and got a bump turning down the hill. He chased the winner all the way to the line and remains a hugely promising horse. Bello Conti ran well for an inexperienced horse to finish fourth but A Toi Phil was disappointing in seventh. Yala Enki was pulled up injured after an early mistake.

Wilson Dennison after Yorkhill won the Neptune Investment Management Novices

RSA CHASE

It was a fantastic day for the Twiston-Davies family after the disappointment of The New One proving not up to the demands of a Champion Hurdle.

However, the RSA was marred by injuries to the two favourites.

Blaklion had proven stamina and would not lack resolution. However, the classier contenders, the well-backed More of That and No More Heroes looked well ahead of him on ratings. From the off Seeuatmidnight made the running with Roi De Francs and for novices, they all jumped well. Shaneshill was the real eyecatcher, a much better run than last time at Doncaster. He had been out the back and made a significant mistake at the third last. He shrugged it off and ranged up into contention over the second last.

There were four in line at the last, No More Heroes nodded on landing, possibly incurring his injury. More Of That suffered a bump and he had no more to give on the run up the hill. Blaklion, the smaller of the four, got away from the fence the quicker as Shaneshill joined him in the final battle. Blaklion really stretched up the hill and held Shaneshill by half a length with More of That eight and a half lengths back in third.

No More Heroes had jumped well and had endless potential but he suffered a serious tendon injury and had to be put down overnight, a terrible loss for all connections. More Of That broke a blood vessel. Shaneshill will need to jump better but this was a good effort.

The first two had come from northern Ireland and Wilson Dennison’s yard of young recruits. Though British-bred, the winner made his debut at Durrow and won his first point at Tinahely.

Diamond King - farside comes with a winning challenge for Davy Russell

CORAL CUP

It wouldn’t be Cheltenham without Davy Russell pulling up after a winner on the hill and doing his wavy hands gestures. The winner came in the Coral Cup on the well-considered Diamond King, (12/1) in the colours of Diana Whateley and trained by Gordon Elliott, a welcome winner for the trainer on a trying day. He was another horse previously trained by Donald McCain.

Always travelling well, he came with his challenge in the inner up the straight and was driven to lead over the last and ran on well for a length and a quarter win.

The winner is seen as a prospective chaser. Davy Russell, winning his 16th festival race and keeping up his record since 2006 said "It's more than good to win one - it's the pinnacle; this is a gold medal."

Long House Hall, in the colours carried to victory by Bensalem, ran a fine race of a long break and returning to hurdles, taking second at 14/1. Blazer was the best of the Mullins runners in fourth with Waxies Dargle also running well. Avant Tout was a particular eyecatcher, running on from the back to finish nineth for Willie Mullins.

CROSS COUNTRY CHASE

There were jubilant scenes after the cross country chase when local trainer Martin Keighley and his family cheered home the 13-year-old Any Currency, who held off the challenge of favourite Josies Orders and Nina Carberry.

It was an overdue win - the 13-year-old has finished second in the race for the past two years. Ridden by Aidan Coleman, who didn’t have the best of luck so far and for whom it was a second Festival success, Any Currency won by a length at 11/1. It was a first Festival win for a delighted Keighley.

Josies Orders stayed on strongly up the hill but couldn't quite get to the winner. The 15/8 favourite was given a waiting ride by Nina Carberry but was under pressure turning for home and the response wasn't as instant as it had been when he won the two Cross Country races at Cheltenham earlier this season. This was a stiffer task on better ground and he suffered some interference when Balthazar King fell. Philip Hobbs returning warrior missed his step going up the second cheese wedge and took an ugly looking fall sideways into the hedge but he luckily was unscathed. Bless The Wings (33/1) put in a fine effort for Gordon Elliot, jumping the last upsides and finishing third.

Barry Geraghty takes a nasty fall of Campeador in the Fred Winter

FRED WINTER HANDICAP

The day finished with a double for an ebullient Sam Twiston Davies. He partnered the well touted Diego Du Chamil for his boss Paul Nicholls, and in a similar to last year with Au Ptit Soins, this horse was well handicapped on his French form and he had yet to race in Britain. Nicholls had backed him - a tip in itself.

The complexion of the race changed at the last as Ruby Walsh on Voix Du Reve and Barry Geraghty on the well supported Campeador were challenging on either side of the winner and third when both crashed out. Geraghty and his mount took a particularly heavy fall from which both were lucky to emerge unscathed.

Nicholls second string Roman Du Semain (20/1) almost snatched victory with a late run under Nick Scholfield having been well behind before the turn-in, as the winner pricked his ears and idled.

Of the others, Lizzie Kelly’s only mount of the meeting so far Coo Star Sivola was prominent early and stayed in contention to the end in third. Missy Tata ran well in fourth for Gordon Elliott.

CHAMPION BUMPER

The bumper saw support for many of the runners and the Willie Mullins mare Augusta Kate was sent off favourite at 7/2 from triple winner Ballyandy.

However of the Mullins runners, it was the Mikey Fogarty ridden Battleford, in the Wylie colours that fared best, almost snatching back victory on the line, a nose behind the Nigel Twiston Davies trained winner.

Both the first two are British-bred, and both also came from the Wilson Dennsion academy as did Blaklion and Yorkhill. Willie Mullins filled the second, third and fourth places with Bacardys and Castello Sfozra. Avenir D’une Vie ran better than his finishing position. Dermot Weld's First Figaro had been quietly ridden, and travelled well out the back but in making his ground Davy Russell lost an iron over a furlong out and he ran on.

New To This Town proved a big disappointment for Alan Potts and Jessica Harrington finishing 21st after dropping out after half way.

AT THE END OF DAY TWO

Good day for: Wilson Dennison, Nicky Henderson, Nico de Boinville

Not so good for: Barry Geraghty - beaten on two favourites Yanworth after a wide ride, More Of That broke blood vessels and a nasty fall of Campeador

Leading rider: Ruby Walsh 4 Sam Twiston-Davies 2 Nico de Boinville 2

Leading trainer: Willie Mullins 4 Nigel Twiston Davies 2 Nico de Boinville 2

Irish-trained: Ireland 5 Britain 9

Irish bred: Ireland: 8 Britain: 2 France: 4