What a day! Did I say that 24 hours ago? Interviewed by Lydia Hislop after winning the Coral Cup on Jimmy Du Seuil, Danny Mullins said “It’s only Wednesday, there's a lot more to come!” Can we take much more?

In the nationwide sadness that followed Michael O’Sullivan’s tragic death, who could have imagined that today, it seemed as though Michael O’Sullivan had a hand in proceedings from afar. That the two horses who he partnered to win on that first day two years ago should come back to win again was barely believable.

But there was Sean Flanagan in the yellow Barry Connell colours punching the air, looking to the skies, on his biggest Cheltenham winner after Marine Nationale had raced away from the last after Quilixios had fallen, to win the Champion Chase.

Michael’s girlfriend Charlotte and brother Alan were in the winner’s enclosure.

There were some negative comments over Barry Connell with the trainer having parted with O’Sullivan and engaged Sean Flanagan as his retained jockey but once the family were settled with all that happened, no one has the right to comment.

Yes, O’Sullivan would not have been riding the horse had he been at this Festival but Marine Nationale and Connell gave him his greatest day and no one can dispute that Connell has not been sincere in his tributes.

Marine Nationale is not the most attractive to look at, going racing pace, ears back, head out, but he won this well. Solness had those Grade 1s wins to back up but he never really looked like doing it. With Gaelic Warrior missing, the two-mile division needs a star. Sir Gino might have a wide playing field to come back to.

And what of the favourite? Jonbon was lucky to stand up from a mid-race error. Or was it jockey error for asking him for a long one? Two days in a row, Nicky Henderson had the mid-race grimace.

The fact that Jonbon stayed on so well to take second left lots of questions. And what now? The King George was suggested by some online and that would be interesting.

Turners Novices'

It all began, similar to yesterday with a high class winner of the novice hurdle – this time it was for Britain but in the JP McManus colours when The New Lion got the better of The Yellow Clay on the run-in in the Turners Novices' Hurdle to win by three quarter of a length with the Willie Mullins-trained favourite Final Demand just not able to go with the first two from the last.

Harry and Dan Skelton’s charge had been favourite for this over the turn of the year, before Final Demand won at the DRF but the Skeltons never played down their regard for the Kayf Tara gelding. Could he be a Champin Hurdle contender? Stranger things have happened.

It was a Bally crash and burn in the Brown Advisory, following his stablemate Majborough yesterday. I for one had never liked Ballyburn’s fencing style and he was keen running to the second ditch at the top of the hill and left his legs in it, almost unseating Townend.

From there on, though still in touch, he was on the back foot. He never jumped naturally, losing parts of a length at most fences. Another recruit to the good hurdlers do not always make good chasers class.

Mullins thought an intermediate distance race might suit but that would take slicker jumping too. He may end up a Stayers Hurdle horse. Dancing City made most but Danny Mullins was disappointed at how he finished – maybe softer ground would suit. Lecky Watson was the forgotten horse at 20/1 but Sean O’Keeffe, he too remembering Michael O’Sullivan in victory, gave his a fine ride.

Willie Mullins was 1 from 50 runners in the last 10 years in the Coral Cup. Danny Mullins had only ridden two Festival winners, none for Willie. The combination joined with 16/1 shot Jimmy Du Seuil to win for Edward Ware. Salute de Bromhead’s Ballyadam for another placing here – his Festival form from the Supreme Novice into four big handicaps reads 25523 in five years.

It was a like a spoilt child saying someone rained on my parade after they had not taken any precautions

A first Festival winner for Cian Collins was on the cards after he has made a great start,, with a great back-room team, to his career. Jazzy Matty came from Elliott's Cullentra establishment like his trainer, and he was produced to put up a fine effort under Danny Gilligan to beat the Skelton plot Unexpected Party in the Grand Annual.

Davy Russell was once hailed for taking a short-cut in a cross-county chase here but Sean Flanagan attempted to take the long way home, missing the sharp turn after the third and losing a lot of ground on Vanillier.

Though the pace is never fast here, it could well have cost him more than the eight and a quarter-lengths he was beaten by stable companion and favourite Stumptown, Keith Donoghue winning his fifth Festival Cross Country. Rishi Persad’s question to owners, “Tell me about the syndicate..” might have earned a pause….

False starts

False starts were the order of the day and while the starter may have gotten it wrong in the Ultima on the first day, the riders were equally to blame. The TV reviews showing how the cantered in for the Champion Chase and even faster for the Grand Annual, a fact noted by Ruby Walsh in the reviews and Nico de Boinville grumbling that Jonbon didn’t like the tape on his nose was a like a spoilt child saying someone rained on my parade after they had not taken any precautions to stay dry.

It was noticeable how slow the riders moved towards the bumper start and both sides need to accept the rules.

Mullins and Townend are pretty odds-on favourites at most times but it was Jody not Paul who steered the Champion Bumper winner, Bambino Fever, a daughter of Jukebox Jury had the best form. The other Mullins runners including two favourites have been later arrivals and won lesser contests away from the DRF. They finished 10th and 11th. The rest of the first four SPs were 33/1, 66/1, 150/1 so make what you will of next year’s novice hurdling crop!

The day two attendance was 41,949 well down from 2024 - 46,771 and 2023 - 50,387 which must be a worry but for the unexpected and entertainment factors, it was surely worth being there.