It's official: start of meeting really does set the pulses racing

A study of heart rates at Cheltenham on day one of the festival proved that the exhilaration of top-class racing has a profound effect, with trainer Ben Pauling’s results the most dramatic.

Sky Bet armed a variety of people, from trainers to bookmakers to celebrity punters, with heart-rate monitors to record the effect of the meeting’s opener, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Pauling, who was represented by High Bridge in the race, saw his heart rate increase by a whopping 189 per cent, while RUK presenter Nick Luck recorded 153 per cent.