Cheltenham Festival 2026 LIVE tips and results: Majborough eyes Champion Chase glory on Day 2 – UK Times

A very special guest is at the Cheltenham Festival today – Queen Camilla is on site for Ladies Day.

She’s been in the parade ring with legendary retired jockey Rachael Blackmore and will be watching some of the races later today

More than 57,000 racegoers – from binocular-armed racing enthusiasts to city hipsters – congregated in this corner of the Cotswolds, sending opening day attendance up 3 per cent from last year.

The excitement of the smiling crowds entering Prestbury Park, many arriving after a testing six-hour journey from Ireland, was palpable, and as the first race set off – met, of course, by the rousing Cheltenham roar – there was consensus on the terraces that the festival was back to its best.

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.

Racing TV coverage begins at 12.30pm every day and ends after the final race. The Independent will also have a dedicated live blog covering the action which you can follow.

A number of betting sites or apps also show all the races, provided you have a funded account with them, or if you’ve placed a bet within the previous 24 hours.

Of the new camera technology, BHA Judge and team principal, David Hicks, said: “The introduction of Lynx photo finish cameras gives BHA judges access to the highest-quality images and supports us in calling the results of races to a much greater degree of certainty.

“The judging process itself doesn’t change, with our expert team still scrutinising the photo finish and exercising their judgement, but the new equipment provides us with a significantly enhanced picture from which we can make an informed assessment. This precision really matters, especially when horses may be split by a very small number of pixels.

“We always want to make use of the best, most advanced technology to help support decision-making on a raceday. While it won’t always be possible to split horses, with dead heats an inevitability at times, the new technology will provide much clearer evidence that can help improve the clarity with which decisions are reached.”

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) judges will now have access to improved photo finish images following the introduction of ultra high-resolution camera technology.

Lynx photo finish cameras capture images at around 6,000 frames per second – much faster than the equipment used previously – and significantly improve the clarity of photos that help confirm the winner and finishing distances for each race. This new technology is available on British racecourses, including during this week’s Cheltenham Festival, where it will be the primary camera used for regulatory purposes alongside the existing backup and infield cameras to determine placings.

You can find the latest insights, tips, odds and more each day of the Cheltenham Festival right here at The Independent.

Along with our dedicated live blog coverage of each race day we have expert analysis of the biggest stories, tips and predictions from weekly meetings and specialist coverage from the world of horseracing in our Independent Racing newsletter with Jonathan Doidge.

To subscribe to our daily newsletters covering all things Cheltenham follow the link below.

Independent Racing will then drop into your inbox each Friday after the Festival concludes as our insights move towards the Grand National and the Flat racing season beyond.

A race that never gets any easier but I’m going for a bit of value and taking on the Irish with Bass Hunter.

Trainer Chris Gordon has been telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s a special horse and this point winner scored on debut at Newbury last November (good to soft), before adding a Listed success at Ascot (soft) the following month.

Conditions won’t be a problem and I liked the way he stuck on when challenged last time. He’ll do for me at a double-figure price.

Cheltenham tip: Bass Hunter (each-way)

I had thought that connections may target Relieved Of Duties for the Plate, in which he had interested me at 33/1. However, he’s going to run in this instead and I would still like to get involved at around half that price.

Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old began his chasing career with a win at Fairyhouse (2m, yielding) last October, before coming here and showed plenty of improvement over today’s C&D (good to soft), despite finishing second to Alnilam.

He’s lost his way on testing ground since then but this point winner should be staying on strongly up the hill and I think the recent drier weather will certainly be in his favour.

Cheltenham tip: Relieved Of Duties (each-way)

I’ve previously advised you to back Il Etait Temps for this race on which was before he came a cropper after running no sort of race at Ascot last time.

Clearly, confidence would have to be slightly lower as a result of that.

He had, however, jumped superbly when winning the Tingle Creek and with Majborough odds-on and L’Eau du Sud, who is very much inferior to Il Etait Temps on official ratings but a shorter price, I’ll stick with my original selection.

With ten runners you can back him each-way if desired.

Cheltenham best bets: Il Etait Temps (each-way)

This isn’t a race I generally spend a lot of time on and the specialist cross country or banks horses are generally the ones to keep onside.

Former winner Stumptown comes into that category, as does Desertmore House but preference is for the ante-post favourite Favori De Champdou, who enjoyed a C&D success in January, his first attempt at the track.

That was a comfortable success and this former Grade 2 winner looks have to have the ability to go very close after an 8lb rise.

Cheltenham best bet: Favori De Champdou