False starts became regular occurrences as the Cheltenham festival’s opening day went on, with multiple races in the afternoon being affected by them on Tuesday
19:00, 10 Mar 2026Updated 19:33, 10 Mar 2026
Danny Gilligan rode Will Do in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase(Image: PA)
Danny Gilligan will serve a one-day suspension for misconduct at the start of Tuesday evening’s National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase. Two false starts delayed the final race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
The starter reported that Will Do jockey Gilligan caused the second by not walking or jij-jogging to initiate the start. Gilligan was on his third ride of the day, having ridden Dee Capo 40 minutes earlier to 14th in the Sun Racing Plate Handicap Chase.
He also rode Koktail Brut to eighth in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Will Do finished 11th in the Novices’ Handicap Chase.
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Gilligan has four booked rides on Wednesday, starting with Skylight Hustle in the Turners Novices Hurdle at 3:20pm. The next is Western Fold for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase that goes off at 2pm.
Conflated is another of his rides in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at 3:20pm. is fourth and final one is the Debenhams Jonny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at 4:40pm.
Gilligan has one ride on Thursday aboard Place De La Nation in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. However, he is not alone in earning himself a ban during day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
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Conor Stone-Walsh was also given a two-day suspension for careless riding in the same race. The jockey rode Iceberg Theory to fifth, but caused Donagh Meyler on Backersackme, which was the favourite, to take a check, which then affected Sam Twiston-Davies on Guard the Moon.
Will do was not clear enough of Meyler’s ride when drifting left-handed towards the rail. Twiston-Davies also had to slightly check against the rail.
Both rides pulled up while Iceberg Theory finished fifth. An enquiry, however, has ruled on the interference that happened after the first fence when entering the bend during Tuesday’s final race.
Danny Gilligan won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Wodhooh at last year’s Cheltenham Festival(Image: PA)
A statement reads: “An enquiry was held to consider interference entering the bend after the first fence, involving ICEBERG THEORY (IRE), placed fifth, ridden by Conor Stone-Walsh, BACKMERSACKME (IRE), which was pulled up, ridden by Donagh Meyler, and GUARD THE MOON, which was pulled up, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies.
“Stone-Walsh was suspended for 2 days for careless riding as he allowed his mount to drift left-handed towards the rail when insufficiently clear of Meyler, who had to take a check, which resulted in Twiston-Davies also having to take a slight check against the rail.”
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