Here is Greg Wood’s report from Wednesday’s racing, with Il Etait Temps winning the feature race and a spat between jockeys grabbing the headlines,Join us again tomorrow,Some more reaction from Cheltenham, and Rachael Blackmore, on the success of Ladies Day this year,Guy Lavender, chief executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “When we decided last year to bring Ladies Day back for 2026 we were determined to really engage with female racegoers and women who had either been before, but not for a while, or had never joined us at Cheltenham in the past,“The team, working with Rachael Blackmore, have worked really hard to spread the word.

We’ll look to build on this success as we look to make Ladies Day bigger and even better in 2027.”Blackmore, a former Grand National winner and Cheltenham champion jockey, said: “We’ve been in Cardiff, Birmingham, a few different places – it’s been great, getting out and meeting different women.I think us being there has kind of sparked them to think, ‘I’ve always thought about going to Cheltenham, but maybe I’ll go this year.’”1 The Mourne Rambler (Colin Keane) 15-2 2 Mets Ta Ceinture (Harry Skelton) 14-1 3 Bass Hunter (Freddie Gordon) 8-1Also: 4-1 Jt Fav Keep Him Company, Love Sign D’aunou; 22-1 Boycetown 4th21 ran.NR: 4Victory by a length for The Mourne Rambler ahead of a crowded battle for the places.

The six-time Irish flat racing champion jockey, Colin Keane, wins a bumper race at Cheltenham!Champion Bumper: With Nolimit and The Mourne Rambler are pressing Bass Hunter, with the latter pushing into the lead into the home straight …And they’re off, with Bass Hunter making the early running …The day’s final race, the Champion Bumper, is about to get going.There are five Willie Mullins runners in this one, and he’s seeking a 15th victory in this particular race.The return of Ladies Day after a five year hiatus has been heralded a great success by the Jockey Club.Wednesday’s attendance was 46,317, up from 41,941 on the same day last year.Rachael Blackmore was appointed head of Ladies Day in November and in the run-up to the meeting visited shopping centres in Oxford, Birmingham and Cardiff asking women to come along.

On the day itself, the Centaur venue within the racecourse was transformed into a dedicated “Ladies Day zone” with entertainment, live music and a racing panel designed to help “demystify” the sport.According to the Jockey Club, 33% of ticket purchasers for Ladies Day were female, compared with 25% in 2025.The second day of Cheltenham was previously rebranded as “Style Wednesday” in 2024.That may not be the end of the Queally v De Boinville dispute, with Cheltenham stewards planning to “obtain further evidence” before making a decision.“An enquiry was held into a complaint received from Mr D.

Queally regarding an incident at the start,The Stewards, having heard the initial evidence from Queally and Nico de Boinville, have adjourned the matter to obtain further evidence,”5,20 Weatherbys Champion BumperKeep Him Company – 4/1 Love Sign Daunou – 5/1 The Mourne Rambler – 7/1 Quiryn – 7/1 Bass Hunter – 8/1 Broadway Ted – 11/1 The Irish Avatar – 14/1 Mets Ta Ceinture – 14/1 Its Only A Game – 14/1 Moonverrin – 20/1Bar 20/1NR Charismatic KidOdds via Oddschecker,Earlier on, we heard Declan Queally and Nico De Boinville accuse each other on ITV after the opening race.

Queally and three other riders have now been suspended after a stewards’ enquiry.“The starter reported that Jack Kennedy, the rider of Ballyfad, Mr D.Queally, the rider of I’ll Sort That, Danny Gilligan, the rider of Skylight Hussle, and Darragh O’Keeffe, the rider of Walks In June, had not approached the tape at a walk or a jig-jog thereby causing a false start, resulting in a standing start,” a statement said.“The riders and the starters were interviewed and shown recordings of the incident.Kennedy and Queally were suspended for one day for misconduct at the start.

As it was their second offence in 12 months, Gilligan and O’Keeffe were suspended for two days.”It’s Martator who wins it by a hair’s breadth, a welcome victory for trainer Venetia Williams, and a great ride from jockey Charlie Deutsch.A 66-1 winner, and Jazzy Matty narrowly fails to join the victors in yellow today.Photo finish! Martator looked to have surged to victory, but Jazzy Matty fights back and this looks almost a dead heat on the line, with Break My Soul in third place.Grand Annual Challenge Cup: Jazzy Matty and Western Diego also in the mix, and it’s the former who takes up the lead alongside Jasko Des Dames – and Martator is bolting through the pack …Grand Annual Challenge Cup: Release the Beast makes a mistake and Personal Ambition has dropped back, leaving Be Aware, Touch Me Not and Vanderpoel as the front runners …Grand Annual Challenge Cup: They’re off, although it’s another spotty start with a couple of runners caught on their heels.

Personal Ambition and Be Aware the early pace-setters …Will the yellow jersey of Vanderpoel continue our winning theme? There are some problems in the peloton, if you will, bunched together a long way from the usual starting point,Time for the penultimate race of the day: the Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase, to give its full name,The ground is now officially good on both courses – with reports that the track could be watered this evening due to the sunny weather, although there is some rain in the forecast for tomorrow,Notice any similarities? Sadly, there are no grey horses with jockeys in yellow silks in the next race, so you’ll just have to read the form guide,Here are tomorrow’s tips, care of Greg Wood.

Hexham 1,05 Biglesisback 1,42 Knockeranna Rose 2,22 Didntgotwenty 3,02 Planned Paradise 3.

42 Gardener 4,22 Court At Slip 5,00 Another High FiveCheltenham 1,20 Bambino Fever 2,00 Jordans Cross (nb) 2.

40 Wodhooh 3,20 Ma Shantou (nap) 4,00 Fact To File 4,40 Electric Mason 5,20 Herakles WestwoodNewcastle 3.

48 Raft Up 4,28 Alpine Sierra 5,08 Golspie 5,45 Portman Blue 6,15 Havana Jag 6.

45 Irish Nectar 7.15 Trilby 7.45 Captain Kinsella 8.15 Pallas LordChelmsford 4.49 He’s Our Cracker 5.

30 Respond 6.00 Forbidden Colours 6.30 Frankali 7.00 Shebara 7.30 Moonjid 8.

00 Tonal 8.30 Warning Symbol4.40 Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase Be Aware – 4/1 Jazzy Matty – 7/1 Vanderpoel – 8/1 Inthepocket – 9/1 Ballysax Hank – 9/1 Release The Beat – 11/1 Relieved Of Duties – 12/1 Break My Soul – 14/1 Rubaud – 14/1 Personal Ambition – 20/1Bar 20/1Odds via Oddschecker.1 Il Etait Temps (Paul Townend) 5-2 2 Libberty Hunter (S Bowen) 50-1 3 L’eau Du Sud (Harry Skelton) 13-210 ran.Also: 5-6 Fav Majborough, 50-1 Captain Guinness 4thPaul Townend delivers victory for Il Etait Temps, a remarkable comeback after suffering a heavy fall at Ascot in January.

“It shows how tough this lad is … such a courageous horse, I wasn’t going to force him but he just found his rhythm and was clever enough to find the right line at the end,”Despite a stumble over the last, Paul Townend leads Il Etait Temps clear, while Sean Bowen rallies outsider Libberty Hunter to second place ahead of the tiring L’eau Du Sud,Majborough is nowhere near after an uneven, error-strewn run,Champion Chase: The grey L’eau Du Sud is poised on the outside, and Majborough makes a mistake three from home! Coming up the hill, Il Etait Temps enters the fray and takes the lead over the last …Champion Chase: They are absolutely flying over the early fences, with Majborough upping the pace to overtake Quilixios, with L’eau Du Sud third,Saint Segal looks to have fallen, but is able to recover.

They’re off in the Champion Chase! The tricky turn leading up to the start, which has been frustrating jockeys and punters alike, doesn’t seem to hinder any horses this time.Majborough is the pre-race favourite, ahead of Il Etait Temps and L’Eau Du Sud – owned by Sir Alex Ferguson.Bryan Robson is here to cheer his former manager on.4.00 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion ChaseMajborough – 10/11 Il Etait Temps – 3/1 Leau Du Sud – 6/1 Irish Panther – 14/1 Quilixios – 16/1 Found A Fifty – 25/1 Captain Guiness – 40/1Saint Segal – 40/1 Libberty Hunter – 66/1 Brookie – 100/1Odds via Oddschecker.

The CMD Syndicate, a group of Irish racing fans who own Final Orders, are having a rare old time in the winners’ circle.When will Final Orders be tonight? “I’m supposed to get a flight home later,” says one.“Mam, you’re gonna be babysitting!”1 Final Orders (Conor Stone-Walsh) 7-1 2 Favori De Champdou (Jack Kennedy) 2-1 Fav 3 Vanillier (Sean Flanagan) 13-2Also: 10-3 Stumptown 4th.14 ranSo, for the third race in a row, the horse making the running stays on to win.“He’s small, he loves the good ground, he’s so brave, he jumped so well,” says winning jockey Conor Stone-Walsh, enjoying his first festival win after two second-place finishes last year.

Cross Country Chase: Favori De Champdou switches to the inside as we approach the last, but Final Orders finds another burst of pace down the home straight, and wins with plenty to spare!Cross Country Chase: A heavy fall for Pied Piper in midfield, as Final Orders still leads,Conflated and Stumptown are poised behind the leading group …Cross Country Chase: Over the ‘cheese wedge’ fences around the halfway mark, and Favori De Champdou joins Latenightpass in the group behind Final Orders …Cross Country Chase: A clean start on the cross-country course, with Final Orders making the early ranking and Velvet Elvis at the back of the field,The runners have been confirmed for Friday’s Gold Cup, with Inothewayurthinkin seeking a repeat victory for Gavin Cromwell,Gaelic Warrior will be Willie Mullins’ only runner, while The Jukebox Man – owned by Harry Redknapp – is a contender fter winning the King George at Kempton back in December,Gaelic Warrior Jango Baie The Jukebox Man Haiti Couleurs Inothewayurthinkin Spillane’s Tower Grey Dawning Envoi Allen Firefox L’Homme Presse Gold TweetNext up, it’s the great Cheltenham curiosity that is the Cross Country Chase – three miles and five furlongs of running, over 32 different obstacles.

This race was the making of Tiger Roll, winner in 2018, 2019 and 2021,Keith Donoghue is looking to repeat last year’s victory on Stumptown,The day’s headline race – the Queen Mother Champion Chase – is coming up at 4pm; here’s another look at Greg Wood’s preview,The two-mile chasing championship promised to be a compelling head-to-head between Majborough and Marine Nationale before last year’s winner suffered a late injury, but it may now prove to be a case of Majborough versus the fences, given his somewhat error-prone record prior to his impressive success at the Dublin Racing Festival,A repeat of that form would surely be enough, but he made a hash of the second-last when odds-on for the Arkle here last year and the bookies laying him at around 10-11 will harbour high hopes of getting him beaten.

Stable companion Il Etait Temps, the mount of Paul Townend, has emerged as the clear second-favourite this morning, which suggests he has been showing up well at home following his disappointing run in the Clarence House at Ascot, while Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud, who goes well fresh and saves his best for this track and trip, is next in the list at 11-2,The novice Irish Panther is another interesting runner in a race where plenty will fancy their chances should the favourite disappoint, while Quilixios, the 2021 Triumph Hurdle winner, was booked for a commendable second place when he came down at the last 12 months ago,1 Jingko Blue (James Bowen) 9-2 Fav 2 Franciscan Rock (Josh Williamson) 50-1 3 Storm Heart (Danny Mullins) 5-1 4 Ballyadam (Patrick M O’Brien) 40-124 ran3,20 Glenfarclas Cross Country ChaseFavori De Champdou – 7/4 Stumpton – 7/2 Desertmore House – 7/1 Final Orders – 7/1 Vanilier – 7/1 Pied Piper – 10/1 The Goffer – 16/1 Fakir Doudairies – 16/1 Conflated – 28/1 Latenightpass – 33/1Bar 33/1All odds via Oddschecker,It’s an emotional victory for owners Tony and Donna Barney, whose winning horse carries the initials of their son, James Barney, who died in a car accident in 2008.

They also won a race here last year with Jango Baie, who will run in Friday’s Gold Cup,Winning jockey James Bowen: “I wasn’t planning on making the running, but it worked out for me,” James is the younger brother of champion jockey Sean, and now has two Cheltenham wins to Sean’s zero,BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle: The pressure is cranked up on Jingko Blue, but the leader responds by hitting the accelerator, romping clear to win by a big distance,Franciscan Rock holds on to come home in second.

BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle: The Yellow Clay and Chart Topper well placed on the outside and Storm Heart is making ground … but The Yellow Clay goes down at the third-last! Plenty with a chance here …BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle: Into the final circuit, with Guard Duty the back marker and Jingko Blue still in the lead … but not a lot to separate the entire field as the race pace creeps up,BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle: Jingko Blue leads Franciscan Rock, with Forty Coats in third and Colonel Mustard lurking in fourth,Our third race of the day – it’s the BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle, with 24 runners,All get away in a clean start … Storm Heart – 4/1 Jingko Blue – 5/1 Kateira – 8/1 Iberico Lord – 9/1 The Yellow Clay – 9/1 Puturhandstogether – 10/1 Kopeck De Mee – 11/1 Forty Coats – 14/1 Bunting – 16/1 Guard Duty – 25/1 Bar – 25/1Odds via Oddschecker