It's St Patrick's Day at the Cheltenham Festival and punters are keen to squeeze any associated luck for all it is worth after a largely barren opening day
Kalahari King, trained by Ferdy Murphy and ridden by Graham Lee, is one of those hoping to upset the odds - and the punters - with victory over favourite Master Minded in the Queen Mother Champion Chase
Whether or not Ruby Walsh succeeds on Master Minded in Wednesday's feature, there will be celebrations in the Walsh household. His sister, Katie, wins the day's opening race on Poker De Sivola
Jason Maguire steers Peddlers Cross (right) home to win the novices' hurdle after Sleepy Hollow, leading for much of the race, exits the entire course at the last in dramatic fashion through the rails, leaving the path clear
Delighted jockey Davy Russell gives mount Weapons Amnesty a playful stroke after the latter became a weapon of Walsh destruction in the RSA Chase, winning with consummate ease after Ruby and Citizen Vic fall
The clock reaches 1520 GMT and the nine-strong field for the Queen Mother Champion Chase heads off, including 4-5 favourite Master Minded with Walsh on board
Master Minded may have started, but seems reluctant to finish as Barry Geraghty instead steals the limelight aboard the Colm Murphy-trained Big Zeb
Big Zeb, a 10-1 shot, comes home ahead of Forpadydeplasterer and Kalahari King to stun the Cheltenham crowd as yet another favourite fails to make the grade
Master Minded eventually finishes fourth but, in the winners' enclosure, Geraghty only has eyes for the triumphant Big Zeb, who earns a peck on the cheek
The Big Zeb entourage may be smiling but there are grimaces aplenty among the punters, as the bookies continue to make hay in the absence of any hotly tipped Cheltenham winners
The good news for Geraghty, however, does not stop. In the very next race, following a quick change of silks, the jockey pilots Spirit River to victory after leader Wishfull Thinking falls
At last, a chance for Ruby Walsh - and trainer Paul Nicholls - to smile. Emblazoned in red, Walsh guides Sanctuaire to a comfortable nine-lengths victory to end a long afternoon on a bright note
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend 
Bookmark with:
What are these?