Cheltenham Festival Day 1 takes place on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Champion Day features seven races including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle.

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Three horses worth considering on the opening day are Mydaddypaddy in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, O’Moore Park in the Festival Plate and Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle.

The Cheltenham Festival gets underway on Tuesday 10 March with Champion Day, one of the most eagerly anticipated days in the racing calendar. With seven races on the card including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle, it promises to be a thrilling start to the week.

Cheltenham Festival Day 1 selections:

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – Mydaddypaddy (15/2)
• Festival Plate – O’Moore Park (14/1)
• Champion Hurdle – Lossiemouth (2/1)

Here are three selections worth considering on the opening day at Cheltenham.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

The opening roar of the Cheltenham Festival greets the runners in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and this year’s renewal looks wide open.

Mydaddypaddy makes plenty of appeal at around 15/2 for the Dan Skelton yard. Some punters were disappointed with his run in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle, but that race featured omitted obstacles which made it a slightly unusual contest. It may not be the best guide to his true ability.

Market leader Mighty Park is likely to start favourite but he remains largely untested. His sole victory came in a maiden hurdle where he faced little opposition, leaving several questions unanswered. Cheltenham’s undulations, the left handed track and the relentless pace of a Festival race could all present new challenges.

Old Park Star and Sober Glory may ensure a strong early gallop and that could suit a horse held up just off the speed. Mydaddypaddy is expected to travel well into the race and could be finishing strongly up the hill.

Selection: Mydaddypaddy – 15/2

Festival Plate

The Festival Plate is one of the most competitive handicaps of the meeting and O’Moore Park looks an interesting option at around 14/1.

He ran an excellent race when finishing third in last season’s novice handicap at the Festival and that form has worked out well since, with the winner going on to land a graded contest at Aintree.

O’Moore Park also returned to Cheltenham in April where he was narrowly denied by a well handicapped runner from the Skelton yard, further proving his liking for the course.

There have been some encouraging efforts this season as well. His second place behind Oscar’s Brother at Galway reads particularly well now that the winner is prominent in the betting for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Experience often counts for plenty in this race. Seven of the last fifteen winners have been aged nine or older and recent winners such as Coole Cody, Seddon and Shakem Up’Arry have shown that seasoned chasers can still dominate this handicap.

With solid Cheltenham form and plenty of experience, O’Moore Park looks capable of going well at a big price.

Selection: O’Moore Park – 14/1

Champion Hurdle

The feature race on day one is the Champion Hurdle, where Lossiemouth could be the one to beat.

The Willie Mullins trained mare has an outstanding record at Cheltenham, winning all four of her starts at the track. She seems to save her very best performances for the Festival and could be set for another big run.

There are question marks surrounding some of the main rivals. The New Lion may ultimately want a longer trip, while Brighterdaysahead has yet to produce her best form at Cheltenham. Golden Ace benefited from a chaotic renewal last year when the race fell apart late on.

Lossiemouth’s course record, combined with her ability to peak in March, makes her a very strong contender once again.

Selection: Lossiemouth – 2/1