Good day for Irish as Native Jack romps home

Native Jack gave the Irish their third winner on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in the Sporting Index Handicap Chase over the cross-country course.

For a while it looked as though course specialist Spot Thedifference was going to repeat last year’s success but Native Jack, the 7-2 joint-favourite, had too many guns for him up the hill.

Native Jack, trained by Philip Rothwell and ridden by Davy Russell, went on to score by two lengths, with Buailtes And Fadas third.

As in the Champion Hurdle, the Irish filled the first four places, with Il De Boitron doing best of the others.