Cheltenham Festival 2024: State Man wins Champion Hurdle for Willie Mullins

State Man was well placed throughout the race

State Man won the Champion Hurdle as trainer Willie Mullins moved closer to 100 Cheltenham Festival victories.

The 2-5 favourite, ridden by Paul Townend, was runner-up last year but went one better in the absence of defending champion Constitution Hill.

Mullins would be the first person to reach the centenary and is on 97 victories after Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth also won on Tuesday.

State Man saw off Irish Point in second, with Luccia third.

Nicky Henderson, who saddled Luccia, ruled Constitution Hill out of the race last week after a poor workout.

Mullins was asked after the race how he felt State Man would have fared had Constitution Hill had been fit to compete.

"He's probably a better horse around Leopardstown, but he's a Champion Hurdle winner," said Mullins.

"You've got to turn up to win a Champion Hurdle - we turned up.

"He probably doesn't produce his best at Cheltenham and of course we were aware when Constitution Hill came out that the expectation grew, but he's a very good horse and he deserves this.

"I'd imagine Nicky will get Constitution Hill back and we can have another crack next year. Any day you get a winner here is good."

• Day one Cheltenham round-up: As it happened

• El Fabiolo among Mullins favourites as trainer eyes 100th win

• Check out the latest results and racecards

Blackmore claims opening win

Pioneering female jockey Blackmore celebrated another Cheltenham success

Rachael Blackmore won the opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle on 7-2 chance Slade Steel for trainer Henry de Bromhead.

It was a 15th Festival triumph for Blackmore, 34, who became the first woman to be leading jockey at the meeting three years ago.

"I love this place and it's amazing to be coming here and riding these kind of horses," she said.

In gruelling rain-softened conditions, the race was run in a time of four minutes, 12.87 seconds - the slowest running of the contest this century.

Mystical Power was second for Mullins as Irish-trained horses finished in the first five places, although his favourite Tullyhill was back in eighth, having faded badly.

It was not long before Mullins was on the scoreboard, with Gaelic Warrior running out an impressive winner of the Arkle Chase.

Townend was roared home on the 2-1 favourite, who triumphed by eight and a half lengths from Found A Fifty.

The jockey and trainer combined again to win the Mares' Hurdle with Lossiemouth (8-13 favourite).

On a day where the name Mullins dominated, trainer Emmet won the concluding National Hunt Chase run in memory of his late grandmother Maureen with Corbetts Cross.

The 17-length triumph earned the 15-8 winner quotes of 14-1 for next year's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

A first British-trained success of the 2024 meeting came courtesy of Chianti Classico in the Ultima Chase.

Ridden by David Bass, the 6-1 chance ground out victory for trainer Kim Bailey, who won the race 25 years earlier with Betty's Boy.

Lark In The Mornin (9-1) took the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle under JJ Slevin for trainer Joseph O'Brien.

Trainer 'devastated' over Highland Hunter

There was sad news as Highland Hunter, who was pulled up in the Ultima Chase, was fatally injured.

Trainer Fergal O'Brien said he was "absolutely devastated".

Highland Hunter had been a favourite of point-to-point jockey Keagan Kirkby, who died in a fall during a race last month.

The grey horse had led the procession at Kirkby's funeral last week in the Somerset village of Ditcheat, near where the rider worked for champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Ose Partir was a second equine fatality of the day after being brought down in the Boodles Juvenile Hurdle.

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