Cheltenham Festival day 1 guide: Today's tips, races, weather and results

The Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival is the most anticipated day in the jump-racing calendar, as months of preparation and conjecture finally come to a head.

The big race of the day, the Champion Hurdle, was won by the favourite, State Man, ridden by Paul Townend. 

The meeting began today, Tuesday, March 12. The first of seven races started at 1.30pm. Scroll down for a full schedule. 

The first five races of each day of the meeting will be broadcast live free-to-air on ITV1 and on streaming via ITVX. For coverage of the entire card, including the final two races of each day, Racing TV is the place to go. 

1.30: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Winner: Slade Steel

2.10: Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 
Winner: Gaelic Warrior

2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
Winner: Chianti Classico

3.30: Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) 
Winner: State Man

4.10:
Marlborough’s tip: Lossiemouth

4.50: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 
Marlborough’s tip: Batman Girac

5.30: National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 
Marlborough’s tip: Corbetts Cross

Mr Vango (National Hunt Chase, 5.30): Won the Devon National by 60 lengths on his last start, definitely stays the trip. Any chinks in the stamina of the good Irish horses, he’ll find them out. His trainer died last week – it’s written in the stars.

Mr Vango (National Hunt Chase, 5.30): Mr Vango is the best value today. The eight year old gelding was the last winner officially trained by Gold Cup winning trainer Mark Bradstock before he passed away last week. He absolutely romped home on heavy ground at Exeter a couple of weeks ago, so any rain and divine help would be a positive. Mr Vango is a classic Bradstock horse. Not over raced, and punching well above his weight.

Slade Steel (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 1.30): The opening two races of the meeting are wide open and are enticing punting propsitions with big names at the head of both markets not running. Gaelic Warrior is temping in the Arkle but Slade Steel looks a tasty price for the opening race of the meeting – the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. 

He has only been beaten twice under rules, on both occasions by Ballyburn – the red-hot favourite for the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle on Wednesday. He was seven lengths behind Ballyburn at Leopardstown last month and that may well be good enough form to win this race, with others all having questions to answer. 

At around 7/1, he’s an excellent each-way bet to start the meeting.