Racing: Irish gather for Cheltenham festival

25 Irish-trained horses are running on day one of the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, which has attracted more than more than 20,000 Irish punters to the town for the three-day event.

All eyes will be on Istabraq, the 2/1f who is going for a fourth Champions Hurdle at 3.15. His nearest challengers are the English-trained pair of Valiramix at 5/2 and Landing Light at 3/1.

The Christy Roche-trained Like a Butterfly will be banker of the meeting for the Irish, in the 28-contender Supreme Novices Hurdle.

Roche also has a good chance with another of his trainees, Caladine, who looks attractively weighted in the Pertemps Hurdle. There has been very little rain in Cheltenham in recent days, and the going should be no worse than good to soft everywhere.