Check out the declared runners and free video form for Cheltenham


Check out the final declared fields for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival - plus complete and FREE video form.

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1330 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle

Ante-post favourite Al Dancer heads a field of 18 runners for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle - the first race of the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained grey leapt to the head of the betting for the traditional curtain-raiser when extending his unbeaten record for the season to four with a dominant victory in last month's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

His major British-trained rivals on Tuesday include Nicky Henderson's pair of Angels Breath and Mister Fisher, Colin Tizzard's Elixir De Nutz and Grand Sancy - trained by Paul Nicholls.

Willie Mullins has saddled a record five previous winners of the Supreme, including three of the last six.

The Closutton maestro fires a twin assault - with stablemates Klassical Dream and Aramon renewing rivalry after being split by just a head in a Grade One at Leopardstown last month.

Gordon Elliott runs Felix Desjy and Vision D'honneur, while the only four-year-old in the field - Fakir D'Oudairies - is a serious contender for Joseph O'Brien, receiving an 8lb allowance from his elders.

Olly Murphy's pair of Itchy Feet and Thomas Darby, Beaufort West (Tizzard), Brandon Castle (Neil King), Normal Norman (John Ryan), The Big Bite (Tom George), The Flying Sofa (Gary Moore) and Tokay Dokey (Dan Skelton) complete the line-up.

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1410 Racing Post Arkle

Lalor and Glen Forsa feature in a field of 12 runners for the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Kayley Woollacott's Lalor leapt to the head of the betting for the two-mile Grade One with a brilliant display at Prestbury Park in November, but returns with questions to answer after suffering an odds-on reverse in testing ground at Sandown the following month.

The Mick Channon-trained Glen Forsa, on the other hand, lines up at the top of his game after three successive wins - completing his hat-trick with a wide-margin success over Kalashnikov - also in the Arkle line-up - in the rescheduled Kingmaker Novices' Chase at Sandown.

A strong Irish challenge includes the Willie Mullins-trained Duc De Genievres, Gordon Elliott's Hardline, Terence O'Brien's Articulum, Henry de Bromhead's pair of Ornua and Paloma Blue and Us And Them from Joseph O'Brien's yard.

Clondaw Castle (Tom George), Knocknanuss (Gary Moore) and Slate House (Colin Tizzard) are the other hopefuls.

1450 Ultima Handicap Chase

A maximum field of 24 runners plus two reserves have been declared for the first handicap of the Festival - the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Grand National hope Lake View Lad is at the top of the weights for Nick Alexander - while leading ante-post fancies Give Me A Copper, Minella Rocco and Mister Whitaker all feature.

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1530 Unibet Champion Hurdle

Buveur D'Air will face nine rivals when he bids for a third successive victory in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson's charge is bidding to become the sixth horse to claim the two-mile hurdling crown three times and the first since another JP McManus-owned star in the great Istabraq (1998, 1999 and 2000).

Buveur D'Air is one of two runners for McManus, along with Gavin Cromwell's stable star Espoir D'Allen.

Henderson also has International Hurdle winner Brain Power and high-class mare Verdana Blue - who inflicted a shock defeat on Buveur D'Air in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton - in contention as he aims to add to his record seven Champion Hurdle triumphs.

The two biggest threats to Buveur D'Air appear to Gordon Elliott's Apple's Jade and the Willie Mullins-trained Laurina.

Like Verdana Blue, that pair receive the 7lb mares' allowance from the geldings. Mullins has also declared last season's runner-up Melon and the improving Sharjah.

The field is completed by Ben Pauling's Global Citizen and the Evan Williams-trained Silver Streak.

1610 OLBG Mares' Hurdle

The Mullins-trained Benie Des Dieux will face 14 rivals when she defends her crown in the OLBG Mares' Hurdle.

Her trainer has claimed this prize nine times in 11 years and this year's leading candidate is widely regarded as one of the bankers of the week.

Benie Des Dieux will have plenty of back-up, with Mullins also declaring Elimay, Good Thyne Tara, Limini and Stormy Ireland.

The home team includes the supplemented Jester Jet from Tom Lacey's yard and Phil Kirby's admirable mare Lady Buttons.

1650 Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase

Highway One O One heads a 20-strong field for the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase, with De Bromhead's A Plus Tard and Tom Taaffe's Riders Onthe Storm disputing favouritism.

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1730 National Hunt Challenge Cup

The Mullins-trained Ballyward and Henderson's Ok Corral are the two headline names among 18 hopefuls in the National Hunt Chase.

Other fancies include Paul Nolan's Discorama and Impulsive Star - trained by Neil Mulholland.


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