Lalor looks in no rush at the moment... and that's putting it mildly. Right at the back of the field...

Former leader Ornua tumbles, taking out Kalashnikov in the process. Another favourite goes...

Image source, Rex Features

A faller! Glen Forsa - heavily backed - unseats jockey Jonathan Burke at the fourth fence.

The starter goes all schoolmaster, giving out what sounds like a telling off as the horses eventually line up in something resembling order.

Ornua leading the way after the first two fences...

Twelve horses competing for the Arkle... an unruly bunch who cause another false start. Two races, two standing starts...

Aside from Lalor, Kalashnikov is - erm - gunning for victory, while Glen Forsa - a decent jumper trained by former England footballer Mick Channon -

AP McCoy says there is "no standout horse here". A lottery this one...

Cornelius Lysaght
BBC racing correspondent at Cheltenham

At a sporting venue famed for its heartrending rollercoaster of emotions, from sky high to the somewhat lower - and for the narrowness of the gap in-between - a win by Lalor in the fixture's foremost novices' steeplechase would write another chapter in the most poignant of sporting tales.

Were that success to come at Cheltenham, any toast to celebrate the handsome seven-year-old - 'Lay-lor' to his friends - would unquestionably include one to an all-too-absent friend, his late trainer Richard Woollacott.

Reflecting on 14 tumultuous months, Kayley Woollacott told BBC Sport: "Lalor has made a huge amount of difference to my life, personally, professionally, to every aspect.

"He's changed the last 12 months - they could have been massively different without him around."

Read more of Lalor's poignant story

Johnson's most notable ride today is Lalor in the second race of the day.

Lalor, a seven-year-old trained by Kayley Woollacott, leapt to the head of the betting for the Arkle Novices' Chase with a brilliant display at Prestbury Park in November.

Victory in the two-mile Grade One today would be a triumph borne out of tragedy, and one which would spark emotional scenes in the winners' enclosure.

Lalor began his career with Kayley's husband Richard, who died aged 40 in January.

"It looks an open race, but I wouldn't swap him for anything else in it," Kayley said.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Champion jockey Richard Johnson's preparation for the Festival was far from ideal, needing stitches in a face wound after a fall at Taunton yesterday.

He was unseated in the first race and missed the rest of his rides, but has been passed fit by the doctors to race today.

On Friday, Johnson is set to partner last year’s winner Native River as a leading contender for the Festival centrepiece, the Gold Cup.

He's started today's card well enough, finishing second on Thomas Derby in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Whoever owns these racing tags must have some stories to tell...

Image source, Reuters

Another post-script to the opening race, and both the runner-up Thomas Darby and the third-placed Itchy Feet were trained by Olly Murphy.

It's a good start to the Festival for one of the newcomers to the training ranks.

Irish eyes are already smiling (yeah, that old cliche) after Willie Mullins's victory in the opening race.

The Irish dominated the Festival last year, winning 17 of the 28 races. And here are a few more (Emerald) gems...

Image source, BBC Sport

One of the jockeys hoping to make a big impact this week is Bryony Frost, who rode early leader Brandon Castle in the first race.

The 23-year-old rode a winner at the Cheltenham Festival in 2017 on Pacha Du Polder, and her big hope this year is Frodon.

In her first BBC Sport column she explains why Cheltenham is so special, her obsession with horses and how she dealt with serious injuries.

Image source, Getty Images

One down, six to go...

13:30 - Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle Race 2m 87y - KLASSICAL DREAM

14:10 - Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase 1m 7f

14:50 - Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase 3m 1f

15:30 - Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy 2m ½f

16:10 - OLBG Mares' Hurdle Race 2m 3f 200y

16:50 - Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase 2m 4f 44y

17:30 - National Hunt Chase (Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase) 3m 7f 147y

"I'll be honest with you. I thought he was offside."

Football pundit Jamie Redknapp is assessing the action at Cheltenham today.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, PA

What an opener! Anyone started with a winner? Someone in the BBC Sport office *cough cough* backed Klassical Dream...

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Image source, Reuters

Trainer Willie Mullins: "What a very good horse. Got the ground. This is his ground.

"He was very keen and wound up at the start but the owner of this horse came to me two years ago and said I want a horse for Cheltenham.

"Unfortunately he's not here today but he's looking down on us."

Jockey Ruby Walsh: "He travelled and jumped easily. I collided with another runner at the start. That's the luck you need though. Someone was looking down on us."

Klassical Dream was bought a couple of years ago by John Coleman but he died last year before he had the chance to see what the horse could do.

His widow Joanne was at Cheltenham and revealed afterwards that she had some of her late husband's ashes in her handbag so he could be part of the day.

"John's ashes are in my handbag. He's not missed one for 20 years, so we brought him," Joanne tells ITV Sport.

It is a sixth win in the race for Ruby Walsh.

"It's incredible - he has improved a lot from Leopardstown," he told ITV Racing.

"He was always travelling jumped like a stag. We'd left it late to decide on this race and the rain came at the right time for us."

"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!, Ahh, ahhh, ahhhh!"

Cheltenham goes all Kaiser Chiefs as Walsh trots back to the winner's enclosure.

What's also remarkable is Walsh's white strides barely have a speck of mud on them...

No catching Klassical Dream! No doubting Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins. Business as usual.

Ruby rises from the saddle as he crosses for his 59th Festival win.

Image source, BBC Sport