CHELTENHAM’S opening fixture of the National Hunt season was marred by two unfortunate incidents that saw two horses in separate races veering off the track from seemingly winning positions in the straight.

The tape running rail, which runs across to block off the hurdles course from the chase course in the straight, was twice collided and broken into, first by One For Billy in the two-mile novices’ chase won by Diakali and later by the Michael O’Sullivan-ridden Oighear Dubh for Eugene O’Sullivan in a three-mile-one-furlong amateur riders’ handicap chase won by Sam Red.