The Ruby Walsh-ridden and Willie Mullins-trained Faugheen has won the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Ballyalton came second to the 6/4 favourite with another Mullins-trained horse Rathvinden third.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the highlight on Day two and starts at 3.20.

Donn McClean tipped Baily Green and Kid Cassidy as the horses to watch in that race.

Meanwhile, Irish jockey Barry Geraghty tasted more success in the RSA Chase.

After winning the Champion Hurdle yesterday, Geraghty steered the Rebecca Curtis trained O'Faolains Boy to a narrow victory.

The 12/1 shot won a head-to-head battle with joint favourite Smad Place in a two-way race for the line as the rest of the field finished six lengths back.

The Coral Cup saw a dramatic ending as it took a photo-finish for the front-running Whisper to hold off a strong finish from Tony McCoy's mount, Get Me Out of Here.