Irish 'rein' supreme after day one of Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham 2024 is up and running. Roll on day two

Racegoers during day one of the Cheltenham Racing Festival were treated to an exciting day of sport. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Perhaps the safest bet of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival was that Ireland would win every race bar the opening handicap of the meeting, a contest that has eluded us since 2006.

It eluded us again this year but it was the only race to do so. The tone was set early as the well-backed Henry de Bromhead-trained Slade Steel landed the Festival opener, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle — a race dominated by Irish-trained horses — in the hands of Rachael Blackmore.