When Majborough beat Marine Nationale 19 lengths to win the Dublin Chase at the start of February, Timeform rated it the best performance of the season so far.

The 2024 Triumph Hurdle winner who fluffed his lines when beaten into third after a couple of near catastrophic mistakes in the Arkle 12 months ago, returns to the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday a probable odds-on shot for the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase.

However, the race itself has been something of a graveyard for odds-on shots; seven of the last 10 being beaten, four of them (Un de Sceaux at 4-6, Douvan at 2-9, Chacun Pour Soi at 8-13 and El Fabiolo at 2-9) trained by Majborough’s trainer Willie Mullins.

Apart from Favori de Champdou, who looks nailed on for the Glenfarclass Cross-Country, the rest of the racing looks very open on day two of the Festival. Act of Innocence can take the Turners’ and get the day off to a good start for an in-form Nicky Henderson and the trainer could also win the BetMGM Cup with Iberico Lord.

Cheltenham Festival day 2 tips and results

1.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1 )

• Marlborough’s tip: Ballyfad
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Act of Innocence
  Only defeat came when giving masses of weight to a four-year-old, solid representative from a yard in good form coming into meeting.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: King Rasco Grey
  Paul Townend/Willie Mullins – say no more.

2.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1)

• Marlborough’s tip: The Big Westerner
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Oscars Brother
  Could be one of the stories of the day, one of just two horses trained by Connor King. Comfortable winner of last two starts in Grade 2s.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Kitzbuhel
  His run at Kempton was unbelievable.

2.40: BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

• Marlborough’s tip: Storm Heart
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Iberico Lord (Nap)
  Comfortable winner of only start over this trip, needs to run career best but can do.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Jingko Blue
  Beaten last time by Kabral du Mathan, who goes for tomorrow’s Stayers’ Hurdle.

3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase

• Marlborough’s tip: Favori de Champdou
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Favori de Champdou
  Seems revitalised by going cross-country despite a fall first time. Runaway winner over course last time with a nice weight thanks to presence of Stumptown.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Favori Des Champdou
  Looked so good over course and distance in January.

4.00: Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

• Marlborough’s tip: Majborough
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: It Etait Temps
  One time ante-post favourite for this has become the forgotten horse of the race after fall last time. Better ground can help.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Irish Panther
  Brilliant run at Leopardstown last time, finishing close to Romeo Coolio.

4.40: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (Grade 3)

• Marlborough’s tip: Be Aware
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Jour d’Evasion
  Novice chaser who has developed a winning habit.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Rubbed
  Represents top trainer/jockey and has a touch of class.

5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)

• Marlborough’s tip: Love Sign d’Anjou
• Marcus Armytage’s tip: Bass Hunter
  Looks the pick of the British. If he gets his way in front he might prove hard to pass.
• Charlie Brooks’ tip: Love Sign D’Aunon
  Patrick rides for Willie and Goliath Du Berlais is going to be a great sire.

Big-race trends

Turners Novices’ Hurdle
Another race where market prominence is a big factor. Six of the last 12 winners have been sent off as favourite, with 10 also having been trained in Ireland. In what are important considerations for novice races, every winner had at least two runs over hurdles, with 11 winners boasting at least two wins over hurdles coming into Cheltenham.

Brown Advisory Novice Chase
Previous course form is the name of the game here. Ten of the past 12 winners have won at Cheltenham before winning again in this Grade 1. It is also worth noting that 10 of the last 12 winners had won over the distance before, a stat that will be tested now that the two-and-a-half mile Grade 1 novice chase is no more. This is also a race in which horses arriving fresh should be treated with caution. Every single winner in the last 12 years had at least one run in the 77 days before the festival.

Queen Mother Champion Chase
A race where it pays to be wary as a punter. Only four of the last 12 winners have been sent off favourite, although 11 of the last 12 where in the top three in the betting. Despite the relatively poor record of favourites in the race, it is worth noting that 11 of the last 12 winners has at least won a Grade 1 chase.

Cheltenham Festival day 2 ground and weather

Underfoot on the Old Course, around which every race on Wednesday takes place, the going is rated as good to soft. No rain is forecast for Wednesday during the race programme although some showers could roll through in the morning.

Betting on Cheltenham?

There’s a lot of competition between bookmakers for customers during the festival and they will often run their best promotions of the year, especially earlier in the week. Take a look at these Cheltenham betting offers to find free bets to use throughout the week.

How to watch Cheltenham Festival day 2

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first five races of the day on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 12.45pm GMT every day until 5pm GMT. The races can also be streamed via ITVX. There is a preview show each morning from 9am GMT to 10am GMT which is shown on ITV4 and ITVX.

The final race of each day will not be shown on ITV but will be live on Racing TV. Subscriptions for the channel, which shows every race from the Festival, are available through Sky and Virgin Media and online through its website and app.

Nico hasn’t been seen for 11 days

Police are still searching for a missing teenage boy who has not been seen for eleven days. Nico, 16, whose age was not confirmed, may have travelled to Wigan.

The teenager has links to Birkenhead and Liverpool city centre, however police say he was last seen at an address in Leigh, Wigan at around 12.35pm on February 27.

He is described as being 5ft 7ins tall, of a slim build and with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black tracksuit and baseball cap.

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Merseyside Police said the teenager is known to visit Birkenhead, Liverpool city centre and Greater Manchester using the trains.

An appeal added: “If you see Nico, please call 999 so we can make sure he’s safe. You can also pass on any sightings of Nico via our form: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/mp/v2/add-something-reported-missing/or any other information to @MerPolCC or 101.”

As Americans grimace at the higher prices they’ve been forced to pay at the gas pump since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the White House is promising all will be well — or better — once the bombing campaign wraps up.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday claimed the spike in gas prices, which has left consumers paying in excess of $5 per gallon in some states, is only “temporary”and said prices levels would actually fall as a result of the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran.

Speaking at an afternoon briefing with reporters, Leavitt said the ongoing war with Iran would “result in lower gas prices in the long term.”

“Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly, potentially even lower than they were prior to the start of the operation, and we will live in a world where Iran can no longer threaten the United States or our allies with a nuclear bomb,” Leavitt added.

Her latest comments come as gas prices have continued to surge amid the ongoing bombing campaign by American and Israeli warplanes, which has led Iran to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil must pass to reach refineries.

On Monday, prices climbed to an average of $3.48 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, a 17 percent increase.

A day later, that figure was up to $3.54, representing a 19 percent increase.

There are currently big regional variations in how much drivers are being asked to pay at the pumps; however, with California motorists paying as much as $5.20 per gallon, compared to their Kansas counterparts paying $2.92,

Gasoline costs are closely tied to oil prices and the latest explosion of violence in the Middle East has badly disrupted the flow of crude oil from the Persian Gulf, sending oil soaring beyond the $100 per barrel mark for a time on Monday, the first time it has reached that level since the outbreak of war in Ukraine four years ago.

Iranian threats against shipping have led to oil-laden tankers idling in port rather than risk being attacked. As a result, shipments are going undelivered and the world faces being cut off from a significant portion of the global petroleum supply.

As a result, major Middle East oil producers, including Iraq, the U.A.E. and Kuwait, have made precautionary cuts to their domestic oil production in anticipation of forthcoming storage issues if their exports remain grounded.

The impasse could soon worsen due to Iranian efforts to mine the strait, a move which could effectively close it to all manner of shipping until any mines that are laid can be cleared.

The Trump administration has attempted to assuage shipping companies by offering to insure tankers attempting to cross the strait, and President Donald Trump has taken to social media in recent days with threats to retaliate against Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far” if there are any attempts to block oil tankers from transiting the narrow waterway.

Leavitt reiterated the president’s threat on Tuesday, telling reporters the president would “not allow the rogue Iranian terrorists to stop the freedom of navigation and the free flow of energy” through the strait and noted that he’d been “unequivocally clear” in his prior statements on the matter.

She also repeated the president’s offer of “political risk insurance to tankers operating in the Gulf” and boasted that Trump and his team have long planned for potential oil market disruptions, including by drawing up plans for U.S. Navy vessels to escort tankers if need be.

“The President and his energy team are closely watching the markets, speaking with industry leaders, and the US military is drawing up additional options to continue keeping the Strait of Hormuz open,” Leavitt said.

She added that she would not elaborate on what those options might be, but she further stressed that Trump is “not afraid to use them.”

Joe Sommerlad contributed additional reporting from London

There are two legs to this tie, of course, with Galatasaray facing the prospect of a fan-less trip to Anfield next week. And, despite the result of their previous visit to the Turkish capital, it was Liverpool who finished the league phase with a superior record. Arne Slot’s crew coasted into third place to secure automatic progression to this stage, winning six of their eight European outings. Meanwhile, Okan Buruk’s team dipped to 20th in the table but earned their last-16 place by beating Juventus 7-5 on aggregate in a knockout play-off.

Walker was not going to make Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, accepting the reality that he is unlikely to receive another England call.

The time had come to move away.

Chelsea’s Reece James is primed to take the role Walker has filled with such distinction at five major tournaments at World Cups in 2018 and 2022, and Euros in 2016, 2021 and 2024.

His retirement from international football concludes a stellar and enduring career, with his achievements and longevity placing him among England’s finest right-backs.

He bows out four short of the century of caps he had hoped to achieve, but his track record and the manner in which a succession of managers made him a central part of their plans is testimony to the quality and personality he brought over a 14-year career at the highest level.

Walker made his debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Spain at Wembley in 2011 – replacing his current Burnley manager Scott Parker – with his last cap coming in the 3-1 defeat to Senegal last year.

In between, he was a crucial component as England reached the World Cup semi-final in 2018, losing to Croatia, along with successive Euros finals in which Southgate’s side lost to Italy at Wembley in 2021 then Spain in Berlin in 2024.

He was also used in a back three when Southgate choose to utilise this system, the manager trusting his versatility as well as admiring his leadership qualities, not just on the field, but within his squad.

Walker suffered those disappointments with England but leaves the stage with a track record to be proud of.

He achieved all this alongside his huge successes at Manchester City, where he won six Premier Leagues, the Champions League, the FA Cup twice and four League Cups.

He was gifted with searing pace, making him an integral player for managers Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Southgate, the interim Lee Carsley and Tuchel. He also figured in Sam Allardyce’s only game in charge, the 1-0 win against Slovakia in September 2016.

Such was his temperament and speed that Southgate was very happy to deploy him in opposition to Kylian Mbappe when England played France in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Walker more than doing himself justice in the battle against the great forward, despite a 2-1 defeat.

He has made an indelible mark with England and his presence alone will be difficult to replace.

A new kind of blood test promises to find cancer early – sometimes even before symptoms appear.

The pitch is compelling: a single sample of blood could scan the body for dozens of different cancers at once, catching disease at a stage when it is easier to treat and more likely to be curable. For people who fear cancer – which is most of us – this sounds like a medical revolution.

These tests look for tiny pieces of DNA from cancer cells that are circulating in the blood – something my research teams have spent years working on. In the lab, powerful machines analyse these DNA fragments, searching for patterns that suggest a hidden cancer somewhere in the body.

Instead of waiting for a lump, unexplained weight loss or other symptoms, you could have a blood test every six or 12 months to check if cancer is starting to grow. NHS England described the test – which they were trialling in 142,000 patients – as “the beginning of a revolution”.

The revolution postponed

But when researchers have put these tests through their paces, the reality has fallen well short of the headlines. In one large recent UK study, the blood test missed most cancers that participants went on to develop.

A negative test may feel like a clean bill of health, but at the moment, it is nothing of the sort. This matters because people naturally change their behaviour when they are reassured. If you believe a high-tech blood test has “ruled out” cancer, you may delay seeing a doctor when symptoms appear, or dismiss nagging changes in your body as nothing to worry about.

Traditional screening tests have their own problems, but they are built on decades of evidence. Mammograms for breast cancer, colonoscopy or stool tests for bowel cancer, and cervical screening all went through long, careful trials to show they save lives overall, not just that they find more abnormalities.

Even then, they can miss cancers, and they can also pick up growths that would never have caused harm. With multi-cancer blood tests, the evidence is much thinner, and we still do not know whether using them in healthy people actually reduces deaths from cancer.

The tests also generate false alarms. Sometimes the test can flag people as having cancer when they don’t, causing huge amounts of stress. Health systems that are already stretched risk being overwhelmed by follow-up investigations, triggered by blood test results, that may ultimately lead nowhere.

Cost is another consideration. These tests are not cheap to develop or buy. If these tests are used widely before we know whether they work, health services could waste money and staff time on unproven technology instead of on proven measures like prompt diagnosis, smoking cessation, weight management and ensuring that existing screening programmes reach the people who need them most.

Yet it would be wrong to dismiss these tests entirely. The underlying science is sophisticated, and it is advancing quickly. In high-risk groups – for example, people with strong family histories of certain cancers, or those with inherited genetic mutations – carefully used blood tests might genuinely help to detect tumours earlier than we can today.

They are also helpful in checking if cancer is returning after treatment, or in choosing treatments that match the specific biology of a person’s cancer.

The deeper issue is how we introduce such technology into everyday life. There is a long history of medicine being captivated by new treatments and procedures, only to discover later that the harms and compromises were greater than expected.

Early cancer blood tests are arriving at a time when trust in institutions is fragile, misinformation spreads fast, and many people understandably feel that getting to see a doctor at all is increasingly difficult. Adding another layer of complexity and uncertainty could easily widen inequality between those who can pay privately for extra tests and those who cannot.

Sensible steps you can take

While we wait for better evidence, there are still sensible steps people can take. First, if you are invited to take part in a trial of a new cancer blood test, ask what the study is trying to show and what is already known. Genuine clinical trials, run through the NHS or academic centres, are how we answer important questions about benefits and harms.

Second, if you are offered one of these tests privately, ask who will interpret the result, what support you will get afterwards, and whether it is likely to change your care in a meaningful way.

Most importantly, do not let the idea of a “simple blood test” overshadow the basics. If you notice a new lump, unexplained bleeding, persistent cough, weight loss or a change in bowel habit that goes on for more than a few weeks, you should still contact your GP, even if a previous test was normal.

Trust your instincts about your own body and keep pushing if you feel something is wrong. Stories of delayed diagnoses repeatedly show that persistence from patients, families and doctors can make a crucial difference.

Cancer outcomes have been improving slowly over time, thanks to a combination of better treatments, earlier diagnosis and public health measures. New technology, including blood tests that scan for traces of cancer, will probably play a part in the next chapter of that story. But on their own, they are not a magic bullet against disease.

A shooting outside the US consulate in Toronto is being investigated by police as a “national security incident”.

The Canadian city’s deputy police chief Frank Barredo said officers were called to the scene at around 5.30am on Tuesday, where they found spent shell casings and ⁠damage to the building.

Witnesses said a white SUV had stopped outside the consulate and two men got out, before a handgun was fired at the front of the building. The pair then got back in the vehicle and drove away.

People were inside at the time, but no one was injured, police said.

Chris Leather, chief superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the shooting was being investigated as a “national security incident” but added it was too early to determine a motive.

Security around the US and Israeli consulates in Toronto, and embassies in Ottawa, has been increased as a precaution, he added.

The shooting comes just days after two synagogues were struck by gunfire in the Toronto area.

Toronto’s mayor, Olivia Chow, said: “The US consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues. This cannot stand.

“Toronto’s Jewish community has the right to practice their faith and culture and to live their day-to-day lives without fear, intimidation or violence.”

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“As we have seen too many times, antisemitic incidents spike when international incidents rise. It is never acceptable to target the Jewish community,” Ms Chow added, referring to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have prompted large gatherings outside the US consulate, both in support and protest.

Mr Barredo said that while it was too early to draw a connection between the consulate shooting and those at the two synagogues, “we do not look at them in isolation”.

Iran war latest – follow live updates

Ontario premier Doug Ford described the shooting as “an absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbours”.

“Everyone at all levels of government and across Canada needs to make clear that there is zero tolerance for this sort of intimidating and dangerous behaviour,” he added.

They were collected by a local litter picker from Seven Acres Country Park and stacked on the side of Waggon Road.

Paul Lancaster, 55, grew up on Waggon Street where his parents still live and said it was “shocking” to see the bottles.

He said: “It was just shocking to see – it’s not something you often see piled up at the side of the road.”

Paul said the pile was just across from the playing fields where he “always played as children”.

He said: “It’s just dirty.

“I think they should be more aware of what they’re actually doing and just stop and go to the toilet somewhere.”

Breightmet resident Stacey, 35, called the find “disgusting” and said the people doing it “should be ashamed of themselves”.

She said: “It’s disgusting that they think it’s acceptable to do this in a wildlife area – an area used by locals, children’s groups and wildlife groups.

“Lots of people work hard to keep this area clean and nice for the wildlife and children.

“They should be ashamed of themselves, there’s plenty of bins around and even toilets – it’s lazy, dirty and vile.”

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Cllr Adele Warren, of Breightmet, said that it was “really nasty” and had been reported to Bolton Council on Friday (March 6).

She said: “This has been going on for several years in that location and there’s been numerous comments and discussions with various departments at various times.”

She said it’s suspected to be from taxi drivers who “don’t have access to a public toilet” and stop on the road to take their breaks.

The Conservative councillor added: “But when you see it stacked up like that – it suggests it’s been going on for a significant amount of time.

“There’s been a period when complaints were made to local taxi firms and licensing but unless somebody sees someone doing something it’s very difficult.

“At the minute, it’s just an educated assumption.”

She said she received a reply from the council on Monday morning (March 9) telling her the bottles are classed as “clinical hazardous waste” and will need a specialist contractor to dispose of them.

Bottles of what appears to be urine were discovered at Seven Acres Country Park (Image: Paul Lancaster)

Cllr Warren said: “Who in their right mind would throw it in the nature reserve?

“It’s just horrible. It’s a quiet road but it does have a lot of through traffic and there are a lot of dog walkers.

“Hopefully with a bit more awareness the person, or people, are shamed – it’s not acceptable.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said they would send someone out to collect the bottles on Tuesday (March 10).

They said: “This has been brought to our attention, and we will be removing this waste today (Tuesday).

 “At this stage we do not know what the contents of the bottles are, or where they have come from.”

The family of Lewis Rimmer have given an update on his care

A beloved dad-of-two who has spent nearly five months in hospital after being knocked down by a Range Rover in Bolton last year is recovering well, his wife has said.

41-year Lewis Rimmer, who owns a garage in the Bromley Cross area, was knocked down outside a Sainsburys Local on October 27 last year.

He had gone inside to buy a lottery ticket and was in the car park outside the store when he was struck, getting crushed against a steel pillar before the car then ploughed into the shop building.

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Lewis sustained severe injuries in the incident, including a broken pelvis, broken femur and ruptures to his internal organs. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital where he spent more than four months being treated – including three weeks in a coma – before being moved to Salford Royal at the end of February.

Lewis’ wife Sarah told the M.E.N that the move to Salford Royal would make outpatients appointments easier when he is ‘hopefully’ discharged.

“He is doing really well,” Sarah said. “It’s about the physical and rehab side of things now, doing really simple things. He’s been in hospital for nearly five months so it’s building everything up again, being able to sit up and sit on the edge of the bed.

“Everyone at Salford and Preston have been amazing, the care he has had has been incredible,” she continued. “I think it’s just time he needs now.”

Describing the months since the accident, she said: “It has turned our lives upside down. We’re coming to terms with a different way of life.

“The start was just getting through it, he was in a coma for 3 weeks and we were told to prepare for it all as nobody know how it would go.”

In the intervening months, Lewis has undergone approximately 40 hours of surgery and multiple tests. The couple’s two young daughters have been able to visit their dad ‘a couple of times a week’.

“It’s hard on him being away from the girls, he really misses them,” Sarah said. “It’s five months he shouldn’t be away from his children.

“They’ve had to adjust to a lot, and we all will. There are things we used to do so normally before, but there’s now there’s adaptations we’re still getting our heads around.”

The driver of the Range Rover, a 56-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.

He was later bailed pending further enquiries. The M.E.N understands from GMP that no-one has been charged in relation to the incident.

“The police have been fantastic,” said Sarah. “They’ve been keeping us updated throughout and I can’t fault them. We’re in their hands, we’ll trust the process and wait to hear from them if something has changed.”

Despite the hardship they have endured, Sarah said that being positive has helped them come to terms with what’s happened. “Lewis is a very positive person and I think we’re all following that,” she said.

“When you read what happened on paper, it is horrific and it shouldn’t have happened. It would be easy to get into a negative headspace but doing that isn’t going to change anything or do us any favours.

“All the energy is concentrated on Lewis being alright. We’ll have days where things are really difficult, but I need to be strong for the girls.

“There might come a time when that changes, we might get home and come back to reality. I’m still running on adrenaline five months later. But we’re concentrated on getting Lewis back home.”

In the meantime, Sarah said she had received countless messages from the local community and beyond. “People we don’t even know have been reaching out, he is well known in the village and it happened practically on people’s doorsteps.

“The local area has been really supportive and people have sent a lot of well wishes. That, and close friends and family, are getting us through.”

Six North Yorkshire Police vehicles, including a dog unit, an unmarked car, and armed officers, were spotted this afternoon at the junction of George Street and Long Close Lane.

The armed officers were seen in the front garden of a property in the area for a short period, but it was not clear if they entered any of the houses or why they were at the scene.

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One witness said: “It was all really weird. They came and went within about 10 minutes – they arrived at 4.19pm and were in their cars leaving by half four.

“We have no idea what was going on, we thought we’d be here waiting for ages. They didn’t peel away like they were going anywhere else.”

The Press has contacted North Yorkshire Police for a comment and when we hear back, we will update this story with the response.