Starting signal for the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham, Tuesday 15 March: It`s that time again. The famous Cheltenham Festival starts today at Prestbury Park and continues for four days.

The best that steeplechasing has to offer at the moment is served up in the Champion Hurdle (4th race/16.30/450,000 pounds/3298m) by Honeysuckle (Rachael Blackmore), unbeaten in 14 appearances. The Henry de Bromhead-trained mare is targeting her next score and has nine rivals to clear. Last year`s winner and winner of three Irish Champion Hurdles will be tested by Appreciate It (Paul Townend), who has not been on the course since his last Group 1 win here a year ago in the Supreme Novices Hurdle but comes to the start well prepared, according to his trainer Willie Mullins.

Teadhupoo (Robbie Power) leads the group of outsiders. This season, Gordon Elliott`s charge has not lost a race. Currently he was superiorly ahead in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle (Group 3). Epatante (Aidan Coleman) is recommended by his third place from last year ahead of Not So Sleepy (Jonathan Burke), among others. He also won the Christmas Hurdle (Group 1) at Kempton. Adagio (Tom Scudamore) and Zanahiyr (Jack Kennedy) ran in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (Group 1) a year ago and were in the picture behind the winner. Tommy`s Oscar (Danny McMenamin) did nothing wrong in the Haydock trial but the in-form seven-year-old will need to improve, as will Saint Roi (Mark Walsh), who finished fourth behind Honeysuckle at Leopardstown.