Zarak The Brave is the backmarker with five to go. Irish Point has moved out to join Not So Sleepy and Nemean Lion out in front. State Man still waiting.

Not So Sleepy and Nemean Lion move a couple of lengths clear of the rest of the field as they take the second hurdle.

The feature race is under way!

State Man very well backed for this one and hard to see past the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year old.

The field takes a turn as the start of the Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy approaches.

Trainer Willie Mullins, speaking to ITV Racing on State Man: "He is well. He will handle the ground. It is all positive, I have no negatives. Now we need luck.

"We have one on the board today and that is a good day's racing."

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham

Image source, .

The Cheltenham racecard serves to remind us of the big equine star absent from this year’s meeting.

Constitution Hill was described as the ‘horse of a generation’ after romping to victory in the Champion Hurdle at the Festival last year.

Trainer Nicky Henderson ruled the seven year-old out of a title defence after a poor workout at Kempton and blood tests showed he was unwell.

That leaves last year’s runner-up State Man as the favourite for Tuesday’s big race and questions over the form of Henderson’s stable.

It will be interesting to see how his pair Iberico Lord and Lucia fare in the Champion Hurdle.

Image source, Getty Images

Onto the big race of the day where the picture has changed following the withdrawal of last year’s winner Constitution Hill.

State Man, who finished second to Nicky Henderson's star 12 months ago, is widely tipped to go one better and it would be a big shock if he was beaten.

The horse, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, already has a Festival title to his name after his win in the 2022 County Hurdle.

The biggest danger could be the Gordon Elliott-trained Irish Point while Henderson does have two runners in Iberico Lord and Luccia.

Winning trainer Kim Bailey, speaking to ITV Racing: "Not a great race to watch. I have a huge amount of thought for Trelawne. I didn't watch the first circuit at all, I was watching him.

"David Bass got back in the race. It is huge for the yard. The team has worked so hard for this and believed in the horse."

Image source, PA Media

Winning jockey David Bass, speaking to ITV Sport: "We had two in the race and the rain came this morning and I was panicking I was on the wrong one, but what a lovely horse. He travelled well and I was thinking going round that there's a big race in Liverpool I'd like to try next year. It's brilliant for the owners and the yard. We have been quiet but we can produce big moments here. 2020 was the last time I rode a winner here, and that's too long."

There's some concern for Highland Hunter, who didn't finish the race.

We'll update as soon as we hear what the latest is.

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham

Chianti Classico, for Kim Bailey, is the first British-trained winner of the 2024 Festival.

And it was a winning selection for our man Andrew Thornton who noted the horse had been in very good form.

Charlie Poste
Former jump jockey on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

He was perfectly positioned by David Bass and travelled well. Your concern were the Irish challengers but for once the English horse repelled the challenge and stayed on up the hill.

David Bass will have had the choice between the winner and Trelawne and picked the right one.

Conditions are really testing out there.

1 Chianti Classico (David Bass) 6-1

2 Twig (Beau Morgan) 28-1

3 Meetingofthewaters (M P Walsh) 6-1

4 Famous Bridge (Sean Quinlan) 25-1

21 ran

Chianti Classico is faultless in the run down to the finish line as Twig's challenge falls away to come home second. Meetingofthewaters finishes third.

Chianti Classico doesn't jump the last particularly well but recovers to power away!

Highland Hunter is dropping back now as they make the turn to the second last, with Chianti Classico around a neck ahead of Twig.

Highland Hunter leads with three to go but is being put under pressure by Chianti Classico.

Monbeg Genius is struggling at the back after an early mistake, with Stumptown also back there with lots of work to do.

Eleven fences to go and Highland Hunter is up alongside Eklat De Rire out in front, but the field is pretty bunched up.

Trelawne is an early faller as Eklat De Rire leads the way over the first couple of jumps.