Luke Humphries admits he had ‘a lot riding’ on losing horse as he parties at Cheltenham with rival Luke Littler

Luke Humphries kicked off the Cheltenham Festival in fine style — landing a £3,250 betting windfall on the opening race of the week before generously donating every penny to charity.

Cool Hand Luke was among the star names descending on Prestbury Park for Champion Day on Tuesday, joining darts rivals Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall for what turned into a memorable — and occasionally chaotic — first day of the Festival.

Humphries struck early, backing 9/4 favourite Old Park Star in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with a £1,000 stake. The horse obliged, handing the world number two a £3,250 return. True to his reputation as one of the sport’s most grounded characters, Humphries immediately announced he would be giving the winnings away rather than pocketing them — a gesture that went down well with fans watching the day unfold on social media.

Littler, meanwhile, was in typically animated form in the stands. The world number one was visibly invested in the action throughout the day, celebrating enthusiastically whenever one of his selections performed. Footage and photos from the event captured The Nuke in full voice, clenched fists and all, as the races unfolded. He later shared clips from the day with his two million-plus social media followers.

The backdrop to the darts stars’ day out was a Festival opener that lived up to its billing for drama both on and off the track. The day’s showpiece, the Unibet Champion Hurdle, was won in dominant fashion by Lossiemouth — trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend landing a fourth consecutive Festival victory with the 7/5 favourite, who was fitted with cheekpieces for the first time and stormed clear up the famous hill. The victory earned Lossiemouth the unofficial title of Queen of Cheltenham, with Mullins and Henderson each finishing the day with two winners apiece.

Off the track, the day was not without incident. Cheltenham 2026 saw an ugly brawl erupt among racegoers, with punches thrown in scenes that attracted widespread coverage and cast a shadow over an otherwise electric atmosphere. The day one attendance came in at 57,242, up 1,700 on the previous year, underlining the Festival’s continued growth despite the trouble in the stands.

For Humphries and Littler, though, it was a day to savour. The pair have spent the week swapping the oche for the racecourse after a relentless few days of darts — Littler having retained his UK Open title just 72 hours earlier with an 11-7 final win over James Wade at Butlin’s Minehead.

Both are due back on the Premier League stage tonight in Nottingham, with Littler facing Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals of Night Six. But with the Gold Cup still to come on Friday, it seems unlikely either man will be staying away from Prestbury Park for long.