Cheltenham Festival 2026 Day 1 Results: Lossiemouth Crowned Champion Hurdle Queen as Willie Mullins Dominates Opening Day at Prestbury Park
Lossiemouth settled it before the last flight. A big kick from jockey Paul Townend, a clean jump, and the grey mare pulled clear to demolish the Champion Hurdle field and cement her status as the greatest hurdling mare of her generation. Willie Mullins walked away from Day 1 of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival with the biggest race on the card — and his fingerprints were across the entire afternoon.
Champion Hurdle: Lossiemouth Is Unstoppable
Lossiemouth swept aside all rivals to claim a brilliant victory at 7/5 favourite, with Brighterdaysahead beaten six and a half lengths into second and The New Lion taking third. Defending champion Golden Ace ran gallantly in fifth.
It was a tactical masterclass from Townend, who kept Lossiemouth tucked in behind the pace-setting Brighterdaysahead for much of the contest before delivering his winning move at the second-last. The result was never seriously in doubt once she hit the front.
The winner's cheque was £262,078. More significantly, Lossiemouth now has four Festival victories from four attempts — Triumph Hurdle, two Mares' Hurdles, and now the Champion Hurdle — ten Grade 1 wins in total and a perfect 5-5 record at Cheltenham.
Mullins told ITV: "She's a star mare, to come back four years in a row let alone win — that is incredible. When I put her cheekpieces on her I thought, wow, that's the old Lossiemouth." Owner Rich Ricci added that the cheekpiece idea came from Mullins just ten days before the race — and it worked.
Kargese Upsets Arkle Favourites
The first shock of the week came in the Singer Arkle. Kargese made all to beat the two heavyweights in the market — Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes — at 7/1. Lulamba, the Nicky Henderson-trained favourite unbeaten in three chase starts, fell out of contention at the last. Kopek Des Bordes, last year's Supreme winner taking just his second start over fences, got neck and neck with Kargese at the line but couldn't get past.
The result was a first Festival winner of the week for Mullins, who saddled all three principals.
Full Day 1 Results
Every winner from Tuesday's card at Prestbury Park:
| Race | Winner | SP |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Novices' Hurdle | Old Park Star | 15/8 |
| Singer Arkle Chase | Kargese | 7/1 |
| McCoys Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Saratoga | 14/1 |
| Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase | Johnnywho | 18/1 |
| Unibet Champion Hurdle | Lossiemouth | 7/5 FAV |
| Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase | Madara | 3/1 |
| National Hunt Chase | Holloway Queen | 12/1 |
Britain opened the card with a bright note as Old Park Star edged past Sober Glory and Mydaddypaddy in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle — a British 1-2-3.
What's On Day 2 — Ladies Day Wednesday
Day 2 of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival — Ladies Day — is headlined by the Queen Mother Champion Chase, one of the most electrifying races in the jumps calendar. Majborough is the odds-on favourite to triumph in the Champion Chase, with the race set for 4 p.m. GMT Wednesday, March 11.
The full card also includes the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, the Grade 1 Champion Bumper, and a pair of fiercely competitive handicaps.
How to Watch
Cheltenham Festival coverage is live on ITV Racing — free to air across all four days. There is a chance of a shower overnight into Wednesday which could soften the ground for Ladies Day, with showers and sunny spells forecast through the morning before conditions improve. First race Wednesday is at 1:20 p.m. GMT. The Champion Chase goes to post at 4 p.m.
