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Follow Mail Sport’s live blog of Cheltenham Day One as we keep you updated with all the latest tips, results and racecards as a thrilling week of jump racing lies ahead. We kick off with Champion Day, with the centrepiece race, the Champion Hurdle, at 3.30pm.
Table of Contents
- 1 WATCH: Gaelic Warrior cruises to claim the Arkle
- 2 Arkle Chase – RESULTS
- 3 Paul Townend talks to ITV Racing
- 4 Gaelic Warrior takes the Arkle!
- 5 Master Chewy falls!
- 6 A wobble for Il Etait Temps
- 7 Gaelic Warrior looking well
- 8 Matata leads over the fourth jump
- 9 The Arkle is underway!
- 10 Gaelic Warrior’s a little het up ahead of the Arkle
- 11 Blackmore’s injured jockeys fund rises to £195,000
- 12 Hear the roar!
- 13 Runners and riders for the Arkle Chase
- 14 Updated ground report from Nico de Boinville
- 15 Or perhaps you’d rather take Ruby Walsh’s advice for Tuesday’s races
- 16 Lizzie Kelly tipped Slade Steel to take the Supreme Hurdle…
- 17 Supreme Hurdle – RESULTS
- 18 Racheal Blackmore speaks to ITV Racing
- 19 Slade Steel takes the first race!
- 20 Things are wide open
- 21 Racing towards the third last
- 22 Measured jumping so far
- 23 Tullyhill leads after of the first hurdle
- 24 We’re off!
- 25 The horses are heading to post ahead of 1.30pm’s Supreme Hurdle
- 26 Keep your eyes peeled for an outlier…
- 27 Runners and riders for the Supreme Hurdle
- 28 The punters have poured in
- 29 Breaking: NON-RUNNERS
- 30 Ruby Walsh talks Champion Hurdle favourite State Man on ITV
- 31 Just under half-an-hour to go…
- 32 Attention mudlarks!
- 33 A developing one… Cheltenham Festival may be forced to POSTPONE a race due to heavy rain
- 34 The realities of the day’s going report
- 35 Our second sportsman-turned-racing aficionado sighting of the day: Graeme Souness
- 36 Mullins’ runners take to the gallops
- 37 WATCH: Cheltenham Confidential – DAY ONE
- 38 Can Willie Mullins kick off this year’s Festival in style?
- 39 I’ve seen more beautiful English days
- 40 The gates opened at 10.30am…
- 41 Here’s today’s raceday weather report
- 42 Answers in the comments, please
- 43 Mail Sport’s MARCUS TOWNEND is on the ground at Cheltenham
- 44 Good morning!
WATCH: Gaelic Warrior cruises to claim the Arkle
Arkle Chase – RESULTS
Paul Townend talks to ITV Racing
It’s as good a ride as i’ve got off him in a race!
Stamina came into play today.
Just pointed him the right way.
It’s a pressure week, there’s no ducking that, but the monkey’s off the back now and hopefully we can go on now.
Gaelic Warrior takes the Arkle!
Master Chewy falls!
A wobble for Il Etait Temps
Gaelic Warrior looking well
Matata leads over the fourth jump
Gaelic Warrior’s a little het up ahead of the Arkle
Blackmore’s injured jockeys fund rises to £195,000
Hear the roar!
Runners and riders for the Arkle Chase
Updated ground report from Nico de Boinville
Ground’s really hard work.
Or perhaps you’d rather take Ruby Walsh’s advice for Tuesday’s races
Lizzie Kelly tipped Slade Steel to take the Supreme Hurdle…
Supreme Hurdle – RESULTS
Racheal Blackmore speaks to ITV Racing
I was always travelling, I didn’t really want to be in front jumping the last, but he took me there, and travelled so well after the last.
It’s unbelievable, I obviously love this place, andf it’s unbelievable to be coming here and riding these horses.
Slade Steel takes the first race!
Things are wide open
Racing towards the third last
Measured jumping so far
Tullyhill leads after of the first hurdle
We’re off!
The horses are heading to post ahead of 1.30pm’s Supreme Hurdle
Keep your eyes peeled for an outlier…
The punters have poured in
Breaking: NON-RUNNERS
Ruby Walsh talks Champion Hurdle favourite State Man on ITV
None. There’s no chinks in his armour.
He doesn’t pull, he doesn’t hang. He knows how to jump. He is just bomb-proof.
Just so simple, State Man.
I think he’s a really good horse, and today he’s going to win the Champion Hurdle.
Just under half-an-hour to go…
Attention mudlarks!
A developing one… Cheltenham Festival may be forced to POSTPONE a race due to heavy rain
The realities of the day’s going report
Our second sportsman-turned-racing aficionado sighting of the day: Graeme Souness
If he returned all the fines I had to pay for going to the track, I’d be retired by now!
Mullins’ runners take to the gallops
WATCH: Cheltenham Confidential – DAY ONE
Can Willie Mullins kick off this year’s Festival in style?
I’ve seen more beautiful English days
The gates opened at 10.30am…
Here’s today’s raceday weather report
Answers in the comments, please
Mail Sport’s MARCUS TOWNEND is on the ground at Cheltenham
Cheltenham Racecourse Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin has said the worst of today’s rain should have passed by 11am. Today is the first day of The Cheltenham Festival 2024, Champion Day.
Speaking this morning after announcing that there will be an inspection of the Cross-Country Course tomorrow morning, he said: ‘We were initially forecast, going back two or three days, to be dry today. Then 48 hours ago that forecast updated to some light showers but only around a millimetre of rainfall. Then yesterday it was updated again to 2-4mm for this morning.
‘The forecast which we got last thing yesterday then increased further and gave us some cause for concern and by 6.30am this morning we had actually had 6mm, with a further 4-6mm forecast through the morning. A heavier band of rain is due to arrive around 11am but it should be all over by around lunchtime. We might get an odd shower later in the afternoon but that should not be anything too measurable – the worst of this rain should finish this morning.’
Pullin explained that while the Old and New courses have ‘taken the really rain well’, the Cross-Country Course is more of a challenge as it does not drain as well.
He said: ‘Both the Old and New Courses have taken the rain really well and have been updated to Soft, Heavy in places. We will walk the course at 10.30am and see if that description needs updating.’
Good morning!