Festival Update winners 16/1, 9/2 & Evens

It is fair to say there have been some strange results over the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival, most notably in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. Majborough threw away the Arkle Trophy with a monumental blunder at the second last, which was compounded by other serious mistakes at the fourth last and final fence, too. On a positive note, Top 40 entries Kopek Des Bordes and The New Lion produced terrific performances to win the Supreme and Turners Novices' Hurdles. 

As far as the OJA Festival Update is concerned, there have been three winners - Kopek Des Bordes (Evens), Haiti Couleurs (advised @ 9/2) and Jimmy Du Seuil (16/1). Indeed, the Coral Cup has proved the highlight of the first couple of days - the first and second - with Impose Toi (advised @ 10/1) filling the runners-up berth. With luck, El Cairos (advised @ 40/1) should have been placed in the Festival bumper on Wednesday with Gary & Josh Moore's runner repeatedly baulked in the final furlong and a half by the third Shuttle Diplomacy.

There have been some disappointing selections, notably in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on Tuesday. Whistle Stop Tour never got involved in the Ultima Handicap Chase on the same afternoon. After being hampered by the fall of Guard Your Dreams at the first fence, Lucinda Russell's runner got shuffled back and was beaten by the time he jumped the second fence. It was a wasted run.

Two points to make from the week so far - firstly, the some of the starts over the two days have been a shambles. The Ultima Handicap Chase set the ball rolling on Tuesday and the Grand Annual on day two took it to another level. The well supported Primoz occupied a prominent position as the runners lined up but, once the field had broken the tape, Derek Fox's mount ran beyond the first fence and was the last horse to rejoin the field. By the time he had turned round, he was at the rear of the field on the outside, and the starter let them go. He had no chance and his backers never got a run for their money. The starter showed no regard for his chance - he just wanted to get them off as quickly as possible - probably because ITV were due to go off air at 5pm. 

Secondly, the County Hurdle has only attracted a field of 16 runners on Friday. The decision to introduce the rule that each horse must have raced five times over hurdles has evidently worked a treat. The William Hill Handicap Hurdle winner Joyeuse was denied a run because of the new ruling, plus a raft of promising young novices. Crackers.