THE Irish will be hoping for many more Cheltenham successes as the National Hunt season goes on but there is no harm in laying down a marker on the opening day. Supplying the first three in the Ryman Stationery Cheltenham Business Club Novices’ Chase was quite a bonus, with Henry de Bromhead’s pair Heron Heights and Full Cry proving too good for Gordon Elliott’s 6/4 favourite Tiger Roll.

A convincing winner at Clonmel last time, Heron Heights flirted with disaster on this occasion, a blunder at the first leaving Phillip Enright briefly short of an iron. He soon recovered and the seven-year-old was in close contention as they started down the hill for the final time.

It was Full Cry who went on when Tempestatefloresco knuckled on landing over two out but Heron Heights was keeping on well and took his measure on the run-in, going on to score by just under two lengths. Tiger Roll kept on for third but was a little disappointing, a mistake at the ninth having checked his progress.

On a sad day for Jessie Harrington with the passing of Moscow Flyer, Duckweed was pulled up by Barry Geraghty when clearly struggling. He unseated last time and will be a different proposition when his confidence returns.

NICHOLLS QUICK-FIRE DOUBLE

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls is already in sparkling form and won the first two races on the card with El Bandit and Marracudja, though neither victory was straightforward.

El Bandit loses his novice status at the start of November and Nicholls has been busy with him, winning four races on the spin this year. Already successful in handicap company, the Milan gelding was made 6/5 favourite for the opening Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle but was not helped by the very steady pace set by Davy Russell on Charles Byrnes’ Black Warrior.

Sean Bowen sent the favourite to the front before the seventh but Black Warrior came at him before the last and led again before El Bandit rallied and gained the upper hand on the climb to the line, scoring by three-parts with Pickamix a creditable third.

Favourite backers staying loyal to the top team were paid out again when 3/1 joint market leader Marracudja made all the running for Nick Scholfield in the squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase over two miles on the Old Course.

Again, things were in the balance for a while as Presenting Arms went right through with his effort to be beaten only a neck at the line with Baron Alco a very fair third.

Marracudja was a talented hurdler and has taken well to fences, judged on his fluent round at Newton Abbot last time. It was a clever jump at the third-last which stood him in good stead here and he showed that an undulating track holds no terrors for him. Time may show that this is well above-average two-mile form and the Arkle will be mentioned, though there is no telling how much ammunition Nicholls will have as the season progresses.

The lessons on this sunny opening day of the new Cheltenham season were that front-runners had excellent prospects and it was important to follow stables in form.

Like Nicholls, Charlie Longsdon has his string well forward and 8/1 chance Midnight Shot always seemed to be galloping over his rivals in the Join The Jockey Club Ownership Syndicate Handicap Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs. Jumping fluently for Aidan Coleman, he made all and readily held 5/1 favourite Valhalla, who was always chasing him, in the closing stages. Robin Of Locksley and Ballinure fared best of the rest.

Form around the minor tracks showed up well yesterday, with Marracudja’s Newton Abbot victory followed by Midnight Shot’s success after his easy win in lesser company at Fontwell. A Midnight Legend gelding, he should stay further than this and looks progressive at six.

Backers found it hard to choose between Nicky Henderson’s pair in the two-mile maiden hurdle but the late money arrived for Nico de Boinville’s mount Thomas Campbell, the 11/4 chance proving just over two lengths too good for 5/2 favourite Khezerabad. The form is hard to assess at this stage.

The amateur riders’ handicap chase looked very hard indeed for form students, although Fergal O’Brien’s Troika Steppes had run very well here back in the spring. Responding well to Ally Stirling’s encouragement, he left a modest effort at Leicester behind and went in at 14/1, accounting for Longsdon’s Azure Fly, Velator and Brownsville.

The closing conditional jockeys hurdle went to Cliffs Of Dover (100/30) ridden by Harry Cobden, giving Paul Nicholls a treble on the day.

The four-year-old stayed on well up the hill to overhaul the longtime leader What A Scorcher with the Gordon Elliott-trained Ainsilie taking second.