CHELTENHAM:Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins teamed up once more to make it an Irish double on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, before Tom Taffe's Ninetieth Minute and the Philip Fenton-trained Dunguib brought the total for the week so far up to eight.
Walsh landed the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle on Mikael D'Haguenet before following up with a win on board Cooldine in the RSA Chase. The Irishman then steered the Paul Nicholls-trained Master Minded to a comfortable defence of the Queen Mother CHampion Chase.
Cooldine galloped his rivals into the ground when running out a wide-margin winner. The 9-4 favourite was always close to the pace in the hands of Walsh and it was ominous for his rivals when he cruised to the front two from home.
Fellow Irish raider Horner Woods briefly looked a danger as the turned into the straight but Mullins' seven-year-old saw out the three-mile trip best of all to score by 16 lengths.
Horner Woods was a largely-unconsidered 66-1 chance but belied his starting odds to fill the runner-up spot under Robbie Power.
Massini's Maguire was also up with the pace for much of the contest and despite making one or two errors, he kept on to pick up some place prize-money - albeit another nine lengths adrift of the imperious winner.
Mikael D’Haguenet gave Ireland their first winner of the day. Mullins' 5-2 favourite travelled and jumped superbly throughout under Walsh and came to challenge for the lead running down to the second-last.
Despite being badly impeded by the wandering Diamond Harry, he soon came back on the bridle.
He then kicked on in the straight to score by a length and three-quarters from the staying-on Karabak, with Diamond Harry third.
Tony McCoy was hard at work on Karabak some way from home but, to the horse's credit, he too stuck on under his rider's urgings.
Diamond Harry was suffering the first defeat of his career but lost no caste in defeat, finishing third in a seriously hot renewal of the Grade One contest.
Mullins said: "He's 17 hands (high) and I thought he'd take a year to mature. But when we started working him at home, he just showed a gear.
"From day one he showed he was better than we thought - this is unbelievable. I think he adjusted his stride. We watched him all winter on real heavy ground.
"He has a huge, high action. On better ground today he let his action flow as though he changed his stride. Very few horses can do that.
"Ruby has booked the ride on him over fences. He said that to me already after riding him in Naas. He said this could be a Gold Cup horse."
Walsh added: "He's a machine and he travelled far too well all the way.
"At the top of the hill when I got a gap I didn't want, he just charged into it. He had a look at the second-last. When they closed up around me he came back on the bridle again.
"He's a smashing horse."
Ninetieth Minute gave Ireland a seventh winner of the festival when he powered clear in the hands of Paddy Flood to win the Coral Cup.
The Tom Taaffe-trained 14-1 chance travelled superbly throughout the two-mile-five-furlong contest and took up the running soon after jumping the second-last.
He showed a smart turn of foot to put distance between himself and his rivals and although Mirage Dore stayed on late up the hill, Ninetieth Minute had a length and a half in hand at the line.
Pause And Clause (9-1) rewarded each-way backers by finishing third, while Star Of Angels (40-1) was fourth.
Dunguib turned the Weatherbys Champion Bumper into a procession with a brilliant victory in the hands of Brian O’Connell.
Philip Fenton’s six-year-old was sent off a well-backed 9-2 chance and was pulling his rider’s arms out for much of the extended two-mile contest.
O’Connell only had to let out an inch of rein turning for home and his mount quickly scooted clear, passing the post 10 lengths clear of Some Present.
Silk Affair stayed on best up the punishing hill to land the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. Mick Quinlan’s filly took up the running from well-backed 5-2 favourite Alexander Severus at the final flight and never looked like being caught from that point.
Ski Sunday was three lengths back in second, while Saticon was third.
Alexander Severus, who finished fourth, travelled like the winner for most of the extended two-mile heat but the spectre of the daunting incline proved too much for him.
Sam Waley-Cohen guided Tricky Trickster to victory in the marathon four-mile National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup opener.
Nigel Twiston-Davies' 11-1 chance kicked to the front before coming down the hill and was still at the head of affairs turning into the home straight.
He looked a sitting duck when runner-up Drumconvis and Can't Buy Time loomed up before the final fence, but Tricky Trickster found more up the testing incline to score by 10 lengths in the opening race.
Waley-Cohen said: "He's a bit idle, but he's done it really well - unbelievable. I kept asking him to pick up and he did every time, and that's why he's won it.
"The Irish boys behind me know what they are doing and I thought I might have got there a bit quick, but he stayed on really well."
Twiston-Davies added: "This race has always been the plan. Anthony Bromley (bloodstock agent) tells me he's for sale so, please, somebody buy him and send him back to me!"
Trainer Tony Martin said of runner-up Drumconvis: "He made a mistake at the stage of the race when he was just getting into a position, which was a bad time for it to happen.
"It's a hard old race over four miles so I'm not sure he'll be out again (this season), but he should make a lovely staying chaser."
Cheltenham Results: Day Two
1.30 139th Year Of The National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup
1 Tricky Trickster (S Waley-Cohen) 11-1
2 Drumconvis (Derek O'Connor) 22-1
3 Nine De Sivola (R Dobbin) 16-1
19 ran
2.05 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1)
1 Mikael D'haguenet (R Walsh) 5-2F
2 Karabak (A P McCoy) 4-1
3 Diamond Harry (T J Murphy) 4-1
14 ran
2.40 Rsa Chase (Grade 1)
1 Cooldine (R Walsh) 9-4F
2 Horner Woods (R M Power) 66-1
3 Massini's Maguire (R Johnson) 10-1
15 ran
3.20 Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
1 Master Minded (R Walsh) 4-11 Fav
2 Well Chief (T J Murphy) 12-1
3 Petit Robin (B J Geraghty) 12-1
12 ran
4.00 Coral Cup (Grade 3)
1 Ninetieth Minute (P W Flood) 14-1
2 Mirage Dore (Mrs R Dobbin) 14-1
3 Pause And Clause (Jack Doyle) 9-1
4 Star Of Angels (H Frost) 40-1
27 ran
4.40 Fred Winter Juvenile Novice's Handicap Hurdle
1 Silk Affair (T J O'Brien) 11-1
2 Ski Sunday (S E Durack) 20-1
3 Saticon (W Hutchinson) 20-1
4 Alexander Severus (A J McNamara) 5-2 Fav
22 Ran
Cheltenham 5.15 Weatherby's Champion Bumper NH Flat Race (Grade 1)
1 Dunguib (Mr B T O'Connell) 9-2
2 Some Present (D N Russell) 25-1
3 Rite Of Passage (P J Smullen) 5-2 Fav
24 ran