BEAUTIFUL sunshine and clear skies brought a record 63,000 people to enjoy Champion Day at Cheltenham Racecourse.

The now famous ‘roar’ which accompanies the start of the first race of the four-day Cheltenham Festival helped Ruby Walsh ride his first winner of the week, Douvan, to victory by four-and-a-half lengths in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle

Trainer Willie Mullins said: “It’s joy and relief. It was good to see that everything he can do at home he was able to do there. If there wasn’t so much at stake I suspect Ruby might not have let him come off the bridle – he has huge ability.”

And the trainer-jockey combination retained the luck of the Irish as he made it the double by landing the second race at the Festival, the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy, with Un De Sceaux.

God’s Own, trained in Gloucestershire by Tom George, finished six lengths behind in second while Josses Hill took third a further two lengths back.

Mullins said: “I thought they were getting to him before the last, but he just seemed to prick his ears going into the fence and pulled clear again. He is racing a lot more settled now.”

Trainer Neil Mulholland, who is based at stables in Limpley Stoke, near Bath, saddled his first Cheltenham Festival winner when The Druids Nephew romped home in third in the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase, ridden by Barry Geraghty.

But there was disappointment for local trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies in the big race of the day, the Stan James Champion Hurdle, as big hope The New One failed to make an impression on hot favourite Faugheen who romped home to give the Walsh-Mullins combination their third win of the day.

The 4-5 favourite was always travelling powerfully under Walsh and the seven-year-old’s one-and-a-half-length victory from his fast-finishing stablemate Arctic Fire sees Faugheen stretch his unbeaten run to nine.

Dual Champion Hurdler Hurricane Fly finished a further five lengths back in third, in a race that he has won twice in the past.

Sam Twiston-Davies, who rode The New One, said: “I don’t really think he was himself today and hopefully we can get him a lot better. He was awkward and not an easy ride – that’s not like him.”

However the big shock of the day came in the fifth race, The OLBG Mares Hurdle Race, which saw the favourite Annie Power, also trained by Mullins and ridden by Ruby Walsh, crumple when landing over the last hurdle. Both jockey and horse were soon on their feet, but the fall left 6-1 chance Glens Melody – also trained by Mullins – in front and she duly held on to beat Polly Peachum and Bitofapuzzle by a head and a neck respectively.