The opening race is traditionally the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, where the best two-mile novice hurdlers from Britain and Ireland will be greeted by the infamous Cheltenham roar as the week’s action gets underway. Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson have dominated the first Grade 1 of the festival in recent years, winning eight of the last ten runnings with high-class performers, with Vautour and Douvan scoring for the former and Altior and Shishkin for the latter. The Barry Connell-trained Marine Nationale was a ready winner in 2023, beating home Willie Mullins’ Facile Vega into second. https://www.racingpost.com/cheltenham-festival/racecards/