Odds-on favourite State Man won the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old, ridden by Irish jockey Paul Townend, turned on the power over the final few fences to romp home ahead of Irish Point and Luccia.

Townend had earlier ridden Gaelic Warrior to victory in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and made it a hat-trick for him and Mullins later when he rode Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle.

Mullins now has 97 Cheltenham wins.

"Paul rode him so well -- I didn't dream he would be fifth or sixth jumping the fourth-last but he rode him with supreme confidence," Mullins said of the Champion Hurdle.

"He probably thought the ground would take it out of the horses in front of him. When you're riding with confidence, you can do that."

Of his opening day, Townend said: "It is pretty simple when you are riding very good horses. I am privileged to be riding these horses." REUTERS