Cheltenham Festival: Gaelic Warrior cruises to Arkle victory for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend

Gaelic Warrior came out on top in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase, to get Willie Mullins off the mark on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Twice runner-up on his previous Festival visits, the Rich Ricci-owned bay was one of three Mullins-trained contenders in the race and was partnered by first choice jockey Paul Townend.

Having stayed out of trouble throughout, despite the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty looking dangerous Gaelic Warrior was cruising in behind and powered up the hill to canter to an easy victory as the 2-1 favourite. Another Mullins runner, Il Etait Temps, took third.

Mullins said of his winner, who was well-beaten when unseating Townend at the Dublin Racing Festival: "You could see what difference a hood made to him. He wasn’t trying to jump right and Paul could ride a race on him.

"I thought coming down the hill 'what was I doing running him over three miles last season when he has that speed’. I think he has enough class now to do two miles and he’ll probably stick to that game now, although you could push him out to the Ryanair distance as well. He’s very adaptable."