Madara made it thee all after six races in the EBC Group Prestbury Cup as he justified 3-1 Favouritism with a seven and a half length success in the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase over two and a half miles.

The winner is trained by Dan Skelton and was partnered to victory by his brother Harry.

Dan Skelton said: “Lovely to get a winner - it’s what we all come for. If you’d have said to me last night, what do you want? I’d have said if we can get one, then we’ll ask for more, but one’s what it’s about. The team has worked very hard, and to come here and get one, especially on day one, it’s a bit of a relief and everyone can breathe a bit easier. I had no doubt we had plenty of pounds in hand today; it was just about how it went on the way round. His form showed you that he had that in hand, and we’re delighted.

“The horse has had lots of time off with a leg injury, which meant we couldn’t race him too much and he’s come here relatively lightly raced. He did a great bit of work at Warwick a few weeks ago. He’s a graded horse in a handicap, but I couldn’t call him a Grade One horse - we’ve got that to come in the future perhaps, but it’s a great result.

“Sometimes, a bit of patience and it all comes together. It’s easier being a patient trainer than it is being a patient owner - as a trainer you are lucky enough to have a lot of horses, but as an owner, you just want to run your horse, and you have to be patient, and it’s hard.

“I’ve never come into a Festival more delighted to be a part of this game. It’s great to have a winner - it really does give you a lovely feeling.”

Harry Skelton said: “This horse has been brilliant. He won well there. He missed the autumn really due to an injury. We prepped him really well, he ran well last time at Kempton.

“Once I’d straighted up down to two out, I thought it was his race to lose. He put his head down and galloped well. To get a winner here, you just don’t get better than this place. It’s brilliant and I feel very privileged to be part of all this. Our sport is in such a great place. Brilliant racing today and I don’t think as open a Festival certainly in my time, and that’s great to see. Day one – one on the board, I wouldn’t mind a few more now!

“He missed the early part of the season due to the injury he had last season but he’s improved each time and he’s got the experience, which showed today - he could go wherever I wanted him to go and sometimes you need that experience.

“He was definitely one we thought was coming here with a great chance.”

Keith Donoghue, rider of runner-up Will The Wise, said: “He ran a cracker. He just ran into a better one on the day. No excuse.”

Callum Pritchard, rider of third-placed Moon d’Orange, said: “Compared to his last couple of runs that was an absolutely fantastic run. After the false start I ended up lining up as wide as I could and with first-time visors and a bit of daylight all he’s done is jump and travel and I was holding my position very easily throughout. “

Dan Skelton – 12 Festival wins
Harry Skelton – 11 Festival wins