The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival delivered plenty of thrills and spills, setting the stage for an action-packed week of racing. The prestigious four-day event is one of the biggest events in the horse racing calendar,

The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday, 11 March and concludes on Friday, 14 March. Fans will be glued to 28 races over four days, with seven races per day, including 13 races run over fences across the week, 13 over hurdles plus a bumper (flat race) and a cross-country chase.

After a dramatic, emotional opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, attention now turns to day two on which another Nicky Henderson star, Jonbon, will take centre stage in the Queen Mother Champions Chase.

Drivers planning to travel through Gloucestershire on the M5 have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys as the Cheltenham Festival begins on Tuesday. The event will finish on Friday, when 70,