Cheltenham Festival LIVE results: Epatante seals bragging rights on day one as Honeysuckle beats Benie Des Dieux

Re-live the action on day one as Nicky Henderson took the bragging rights over rival Willie Mullins thanks to an upset in the Mares' Hurdle

Drone shots of Cheltenham race course

Nicky Henderson and Henry de Bromhead both picked up two wins a piece on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, but it was a day to forget for Willie Mullins as two or his horses worked together to cost themselves victory in the Mares' Hurdle.

Benie Des Dieux went into the Mares' Hurdle as the heavy favourite, but a last-minute drift reflected some uncertainty among the 60,000-plus crowd and so it transpired. In what was built-up as a showdown with the talented Honeysuckle, another Mullins-trained contender in Stormy Ireland managed to push Benie Des Dieux wide on the final turn and open the door for Rachael Blackmore to steer Honeysuckle through into the lead and away to victory by the slimmest of margins. The setback for Mullins came soon after rival Henderson moved clear in the overall wins race, with Epatante claiming the trainer's 66th Cheltenham victory by taking the Champion Hurdle.

Henderson had opened his account with victory in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle as Shishkin took the opening race of the day, while De Bromhead secured his first win in the Arkle as Put The Kettle On took the spoils. The Conditional clinched the Ultima after a late surge saw off joint-favourites Discorama and Vindication, and Imperial Aura took the Novices' Handicap Chase before the Gordon Elliott-trained Ravenhill took the National Hunt Chase.

Full racecard

Tuesday

1:30pm - The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 1. Shishkin 6-1 2. Abacadabras 11-5 3. Chantry House 15-2

2:10pm - The Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase: 1. Put The Kettle On 16-1 2. Fakir D’Oudairies 3-1 3. Rouge Vif 9-1

2:50pm - The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase: 1. The Conditional 15-2 2. Kildisart 10-1 3. Discorama 11-2 Jt Fav 4. Vindication 11-2 Jt Fav

3:30pm - The Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy: 1. Epatante 2/1 Fav 2. Sharjah 16/1 3. Darvar Star 17/2

4:10pm - The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race: 1. Honeysuckle 9/4 2. Benie Des Dieux 4-6 fav 3. Elfile 16/1

4:50pm - The Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase: 1. Imperial Aura 4-1 Jtfav 2. Galvin 4-1 Jtfav 3. Hold The Note 10-1

5:30pm - The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup: 1 Ravenhill 12-1 2 Lord Du Mesnil 11-2 3 Lamanver Pippin 33-1

Wednesday

1:30pm - The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Race

2:10pm - The RSA Insurance Novices’ Steeple Chase

2:50pm - The Coral Cup Hurdle

3:30pm - The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase

4:10pm - The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase

4:50pm - The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race

5:30pm - The Weatherbys Champion Bumper

Thursday

1:30pm - The Marsh Novices’ Chase

2:10pm - The Pertemps Network Final

2:50pm - The Ryanair Steeple Chase

3:30pm - The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

4:10pm - The Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate

4:50pm - The Festival Mares Novices’ Hurdle

5:30pm - The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Friday

1:30pm - The JCB Triumph Hurdle

2:10pm - The Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle Race

2:50pm - The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Race

3:30pm - The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase

4:10pm - The St James’s Place Foxhunter Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

4:50pm - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase

5:30pm - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

 

Key Points

• 1:30pm: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle - 1. Shishkin 6-1 2. Abacadabras 11-5 3. Chantry House 15-2
• 2:10pm: Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase - 1. Put The Kettle On 16-1 2. Fakir D’Oudairies 3-1 3. Rouge Vif 9-1
• 2:50pm: Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase - 1. The Conditional 15-2 2. Kildisart 10-1 3. Discorama 11-2 Jt Fav 4. Vindication 11-2 Jt Fav
• 3:30pm: Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy - 1. Epatante 2/1 Fav 2. Sharjah 16/1 3. Darvar Star 17/2
• 4:10pm: Mares’ Hurdle Race - 1. Honeysuckle 9/4 2. Benie Des Dieux 4-6 fav 3. Elfile 16/1
• 4:50pm: Novices’ Handicap Chase - 1. Imperial Aura 4-1 Jtfav 2. Galvin 4-1 Jtfav 3. Hold The Note 10-1
• 5:30pm: The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup - 1 Ravenhill 12-1 2 Lord Du Mesnil 11-2 3 Lamanver Pippin 33-1

[10 March 2020 13:03 · Jack de Menezes]

What are the questions that everyone is asking at Cheltenham today? Is it:

- Which horse should I back?

- What day should I go?

- When is the Gold Cup?

- Where do I get the quickest pint from?

Well it seems the answer is none of those, as The Telegraph's Tom Morgan reports:

[10 March 2020 13:08 · Jack de Menezes]

With the first race 20 minutes away, *hopefully* this will be our final post for the day surrounding coronavirus (I fear it won't be).

Officials at Cheltenham are confident that everything is in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, although a lot of responsibility lies on the punters themselves to avoid travelling if they are showing any symptoms of the coronavirus.

[10 March 2020 13:19 · Jack de Menezes]

Right, let's focus on the racing shall we?

First up, here's a look at the schedule for the afternoon ahead as we kick-off with the first seven races.

• 1:30pm: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
• 2:10pm: Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase
• 2:50pm: Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase
• 3:30pm: Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
• 4:10pm: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race
• 4:50pm: Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase
• 5:30pm: National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup

[10 March 2020 13:20 · Jack de Menezes]

First up is the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and here's a look at how the field shapes up:

1. Abacadabras (D Russell) - 4/1

2. Allart (J Bowen) - 33/1

3. Asterion Forlonge (P Townend) - 10/1

4. Berkshire Royal (D Crosse) - 150/1

5. Captain Guinness (R Blackmore) - 14/1

6. Chantry House (B Garaghty) - 6/1

7. Edwardstone (A King) - 28/1

8. Elixir D’Ainay (M Walsh) - 20/1

9. Fiddleronftherood (R Power) - 6/1

10. Hollow Sound (D Kelly) - 300/1

11. Jabbaar - NON-RUNNER

12. Mario De Pail (S Twiston-Davies) - 200/1

13. Shishkin (N De Boinville) - 6/1

14. Soviet Pimpernel (K Sexton) - 40/1

15. Whatsnotoknow (P Enright) - 250/1

16. Heaven Help Us (D Mullins) - 200/1

[10 March 2020 13:22 · Jack de Menezes]

The big story before the opening race is the huge drift currently occurring on Shishkin, who yesterday was available as the favourite yet has now gone out to 13/2 - and there's few signs of that stopping!

It's a result of the going being rated as soft, although course experts have conceded that it is heavy in places, which will seriously hamper those horses who favour good conditions who were expected to feature strongly here. Can Nico de Boinville pull one out of the back for Nicky Henderson? it looks unlikely right now.

[10 March 2020 13:28 · Jack de Menezes]

Off they go down to post to get a look at the practice hurdle, with officials keeping them off the course as usual to preserve what is a rain-sodden track. Here we go...

[10 March 2020 13:31 · Jack de Menezes]

FALSE START!

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle gets off to an anti-climax as the field charged to the line prematurely, and the start was not happy with that one. Drama already! So we'll have a standing start... 

[10 March 2020 13:32 · Jack de Menezes]

AND THEY'RE OFF!

The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is underway and up goes the roar!

[10 March 2020 13:33 · Jack de Menezes]

Asterion Forlonge plummeted to a 9/4 favourite just before the off and it's Paul Townend who currently leads the field as they pass the grandstand for the first time.

[10 March 2020 13:34 · Jack de Menezes]

Also in the mix at the front is Soviet Pimpernel and Whatsnotoknow, with Fiddlerontheroof and Elixier D'Ainay tucked in behind. 

A mistake from Shishkin six from home.