Kick-off of the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham, Tuesday, 14 March: The four-day Cheltenham Festival starts today at Prestbury Park. Numerous classics are on the programme such as today`s Champion Hurdle (4th race/16.30/450,000 pounds/3298 m).

Honeysuckle dominated the Group 1 Hurdle for two years but the exceptional mare makes her final career start in the subsequent Mares Hurdle, clearing the way for Constitution Hill (Nico de Boinville), who has stood above the opposition in both the Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Group 1) and Christmas Hurdle (Group 1) this season and is likely to fear only State Man (Paul Townend) here, whose winning streak is also impressive. Currently, the Mullins protégé won the Irish Champion Hurdle (Group 1) ahead of Honeysuckle and Vauban (Danny Mullins), whom State Man already gave a clear rebuff in the Matheson Hurdle (Group 1). I Like To Move It (Sam Twiston-Davies), who was victorious in the Kingwell Hurdle (Group 2), is also a promising contender for today`s task. Zanahiyr (Davy Russell), Not So Sleepy (Jonathan Burke) and Jason The Militant (Joe Williamson) are certainly not bad outsiders and can only benefit from the failure of the latter.