Willie Mullins saddled his third winner on the opening day of this year's Cheltenham Festival as son Patrick steered Rathvinden to a thrilling victory in the National Hunt Chase.

The 10-year-old was among the market principals at 9-2 and was given a patient ride by Mullins junior, who was bidding for his second victory in the race following the success of Back In Focus five years ago.

The front-running Sizing Tennessee and Ms Parfois led the field into the straight, but Rathvinden was travelling ominously well in their slipstream and moved to the front after the second-last.

Ms Parfois ultimately refused to go down without a fight under Will Biddick, but the Mullins runner won the argument by half a length.

Sizing Tennessee was a long way back in third.

Coo Star Sivola clung on grimly to provide jockey Lizzie Kelly with her first Cheltenham Festival success in the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Having opened his account over fences at the fifth attempt at Exeter less than three weeks ago, the Nick Williams-trained six-year-old was a well-backed 5-1 favourite for this three-mile-one-furlong contest.

Conditional jockey Kelly kept things simple aboard the market leader, settling just in behind the leading group, before allowing him to stride to the front before the home turn.

He was getting weary as the post loomed and Shantou Flyer came home to good effect, but Coo Star Sivola had just enough in the locker to hold him at bay by a neck.

Vintage Clouds and Beware The Bear finished third and fourth respectively.

Summerville Boy lunged late to claim a thrilling renewal of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the first race of the 2018 festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained 7-4 favourite Getabird set out to make all the running under Ruby Walsh, but he was a spent force before the home turn and Amy Murphy's Betfair Hurdle hero Kalashnikov straightened up in front.

Tom George's Summerville Boy, a 9-1 shot in the hands of Noel Fehily, was untidy at the second flight from the finish and also the last, but he devoured the hill to get up and beat Kalashnikov in the dying strides.
Mengli Khan was best of the rest in third.

Fehily told ITV Racing: "He's a wonderful horse and what a training performance by Tom George. This horse was absolutely cherry ripe today.

"I thought I was gone at the second-last, I must have lost five, six lengths, but he was brave and fought back well.

"He was my best chance of the day, but you need a lot of luck. I thought if he didn't fire today I might be struggling, but what a horse.

"I'm delighted, it's a great start to the week."