Everything you need to know about day one of the Cheltenham Festival

Big races

The Cheltenham Festival starts with the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (1.20), which has been won a record six times by leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who has five entries including favourite Appreciate It.

It is then the turn of the novice chasers in the Sporting Life Arkle (1.55), won in 2017 by two-time Champion Chase winner Altior.

The feature race of the day is the Grade 1 Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.05), and it has attracted a typically high-quality field, including last year's winner Epatante for top British trainer Nicky Henderson.

The fourth Grade 1 on Tuesday, the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (3.40), is always a thrilling contest. It has been won nine times by Mullins since its inception in 2008 and he holds a strong hand again.

Big horses

The Champion Hurdle features a fascinating clash between Epatante, an impressive winner last season, and Honeysuckle, unbeaten in ten starts for trainer Henry de Bromhead and rider Rachael Blackmore.

One of the biggest runners on show will be Shishkin, a short-priced favourite for the Arkle who is unbeaten in three starts over fences. He narrowly won the Supreme last season from a difficult position.

It could be a big day for Mullins, who trains the Supreme favourite Appreciate It, winner of all three of his starts this campaign, and Concertista, winner of the Grade 1 mares' novice hurdle last year.

Key jockey bookings

Top jockey Barry Geraghty retired in July after a memorable final festival, headlined by his Champion Hurdle win with Epatante.

This year the defending champion will be ridden by Aidan Coleman, who won the Fighting Fifth on her at Newcastle in November.

Coleman won the Arkle last season with Put The Kettle On and has some great chances during the meeting, including with Paisley Park in Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

A new face

The biggest trainers from Britain and Ireland will be in attendance at the festival and this year there will be a new face among the ranks: Denise 'Sneezy' Foster, who has temporarily taken over from trainer Gordon Elliott.

Elliott, who was twice the leading trainer at the festival, had his licence suspended for a year (six months suspended) after he was found guilty of bringing racing into disrepute after the emergence of a picture of him sitting on a dead horse while taking a call in 2019.

Going news

The going is soft, good to soft in places on all courses.

On Monday morning clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: "Last night we got significantly more rainfall than any forecast predicted, with 10mm falling rather than a couple.

"Looking to tomorrow, we're going to be a combination of soft and good to soft, but which one of that combination depends on what happens in the next 24 hours. It's forecast to be mostly dry."

Read more on the 2021 Cheltenham Festival:

2021 Champion Hurdle: the runners, the odds, the verdict

Racing's greatest show: superstars gather for the 2021 Cheltenham Festival

Appreciate It and Metier among eight declared for Supreme clash

Royale Pagaille to run in Gold Cup not National Hunt Chase

Cheltenham day one confirmed fields: Shishkin to face five rivals in Arkle

Quotes of the build-up: 'I often find that everything is forgotten if you get a winner at Cheltenham'

Punting plans: Tom Segal, Paul Kealy, Keith Melrose and Graeme Rodway on Cheltenham week

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