The first of the 28 races at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival went to the market leader as Old Park Star (15-8 Favourite) came home in the £150,000 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The Gordon and Su Hall-owned six-year-old overhauled longtime leader Sober Glory after the last in the extended two-mile contest to score by a length and a half.

Nicky Henderson, saddling his Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, said: “It’s sad that when Constitution Hill isn’t coming here (to race), but it’s nice to come up with another youngster who has got his life in front of him. This is only the beginning - it’s his first year hurdling and he’s done nothing wrong all season.

“I’ll be surprised if he doesn't go chasing next season. He’s very talented, and he’s a quick horse too. Two miles is probably perfect for him at the moment, but he’ll get further in time.

“He’ll get stronger and improve, and I should think jumping fences will almost certainly be next year’s game.”

Comparing Old Park Star to his previous winners of the race, Henderson added: “Constitution Hill was very quick but he never went chasing. The Altiors and Shishkins jumped fences and were champion chasers. You’d like to think this fellow can follow along those lines.

“Winning the first race on the first day is the best one you can get as it takes the pressure off. And England is one up!. We probably won’t be saying that on Friday night but we’ll keep trying!

“In years gone by this has always been a race that’s been kind to us. It’s always a good race. It’s the best novice hurdle and they are the future.”

Winning jockey Nico de Boinville said: “He was incredibly gutsy. There was a bit of a bump to Mydaddypaddy. He’s a class horse and fair play to him!

“I always thought he would stay well and eat up the hill, and that’s what he’s done. I’m delighted. We even missed at the last and he still managed to win.”

Asked how important this win is for him and the Henderson team, he said: “It’s great. We always love a Supreme winner, so it’s fantastic.”

The rider went on to say: “I missed the last and I thought I was going to wing it, but it didn’t seem to matter - he then sort of stayed on, so that was great. I think he’s going to be a really nice horse going forward over fences.

“The ground is good to soft, good in places in my opinion, but drying out all the time.”

Philip Hobbs, who jointly trains the runner-up Sober Glory alongside Johnson White, said: “He jumped everything brilliant until the one that really mattered. It might have made the difference, and then there was that interference, but it was a great run.

“He’ll definitely go chasing next year. He’s always been a good jumper.”

Dan Skelton, trainer of Mydaddypaddy who was a further nose back in third, said: “What a great race to start the meeting - fantastic. I’m very, very proud of our horse.

“It looked like he was coming there to win, got knocked from pillar to post halfway up the run-in. It hasn’t cost us winning - fair play to the winner, he’s found a bit more.

“Maybe the bumping cost us second, but what a great race with a British 1-2-3-4.”

Nicky Henderson – 76th Festival winner
Nico de Boinville – 18th Festival winner

What the beaten jockeys said

Jack Kennedy (El Cairos, 5th): “Ok run, no real excuse, jumped well.”

Mark Walsh (Mighty Park, 9th): “Travelled and jumped great, but couldn’t quicken with them from the second last.”

Tom Bellamy (Baron Noir, 4th): “Chuffed with him. At the start of the year we were hoping he would be a Cheltenham horse – he’s mixed it with the big guns there and run very well.”
Ben Jones (Sober Glory, 2nd) said: “Annoying more than anything, because he’d jumped brilliantly all the way around. Fifty yards before the last, he just had a good look at the crowd and stuff in front of him, and just lost a bit of momentum. He wasn’t overly long, I don’t think, when I asked him. Just because he was looking around, he wanted to go in and pop and we lost a lot of momentum. Then obviously that little bump after that didn’t help things. He showed proper heart to get back up to that position, and we can look forward to him next year now.”