Old Park Star, the highly-fancied ante-post favourite, demonstrated grit and determination to claim the Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, marking a triumphant start to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
The victory saw Nicky Henderson secure his sixth win in the opening race of the prestigious meeting.
Henderson’s unbeaten hurdler, ridden by Nico de Boinville, entered the race as the 15-8 market leader.
He remained well-placed throughout as Sober Glory set the pace, with Irish market rival Mighty Park tracking closely. However, Mighty Park faded as the race progressed, and it was Mydaddypaddy who emerged as a challenger on the uphill climb.
Despite the pressure, Old Park Star pressed on, ultimately securing victory by a length and a half over Sober Glory, with Mydaddypaddy finishing a nose behind in third.
A jubilant Henderson, greeted by a raucous applause, reflected on his long association with the race.
"We’ve been here a long time, so we’ve got to know each other!" he quipped. "This is a race that’s been kind to us over the years. It’s always a good race and the best novice hurdlers are all coming out to play."
He continued, highlighting the quality of his past winners: "You have to have a good horse and we’re very lucky they’ve come along – it’s a long time since our first one in River Ceiriog (1986).
“Constitution Hill was obviously freaky when he won it and then your Altiors and Shishkins went on to jump fences and I would imagine that will be next year’s game for this horse."
Henderson expressed optimism for Old Park Star’s future, especially following the retirement of Constitution Hill from jumps racing.
"On a day we’ve said goodbye to Constitution Hill (over jumps), it’s nice to come straight in and a bring on a new one we hope could be a star. These young horses keep you going and I’m not going anywhere unless they want to pension us off!"
He also noted the significance of an early British victory: "The first race on the first day is the best one you can get and England are one up (over Ireland)! I don’t know if we’ll be saying that on Friday night, but we’ll keep trying."
Analysing the race, Henderson added: "It got tough up there. Turning into the straight he had to quicken off what looked a good, solid pace – he had to be brave to come up the hill like that. He’s still a big baby in our opinion – I think in another year he’ll be a much better horse. He’s quick and tough and his jumping is sound. He’s got a huge future in front of him."
Notably, the top four finishers – Old Park Star, Sober Glory, Mydaddypaddy, and Alan King’s Baron Noir – were all trained in Britain, representing the only home-based runners in the field.
Joint-trainer Johnson White expressed mixed emotions about Sober Glory’s second-place finish.
"I couldn’t be more delighted with the run, obviously very disappointed to finish second, particularly as it looked like he would win it going to the last, but as we said before today, we would have accepted that result before the race," he said.
White, who trains with Philip Hobbs, sees a bright future for the horse, potentially over fences next season.
"That would be the quickest ground he’s run on. He’s travelled well on it and we couldn’t be, well we could have been a slight little bit happier, but he’s run great."
Dan Skelton praised Mydaddypaddy’s third-place effort: "It was an almighty run from a five-year-old, I couldn’t be prouder of the horse. He left nothing out there and we’ll look forward to coming back in the Arkle next year. The winner will probably be favourite again but I would hope we have something to say about that."
Alan King was equally pleased with Baron Noir’s fourth-place finish, stating: "He’s confirmed the Punchestown bumper form with El Cairos (fifth) and I couldn’t be more chuffed. He’s an exciting horse."
Cheltenham Festival LIVE: Champion Day results and tips
Cheltenham results in full: Winners, today’s racecard and runners
Cheltenham Festival horse Hansard dies after suffering fatal injury during Arkle race
Cheltenham Festival 2026 tips, best bets and horses to watch on day one
What is a handicap? Cheltenham Festival horseracing jargon explainer
When is the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Runners, odds and start time
