A dramatic Smurfit Champion Hurdle saw the end of an era, the end of a life and a glorious end to the rehabilitation of Dean Gallagher.

Yesterday's victory on Hors La Loi was a fairytale return to the top for the Irish-born rider who had been banned for six months in 2000 after testing positive for cocaine.

Since his return to action last year, the articulate and personable jockey has slowly rebuilt his career. Yesterday had the air of vindication about it. The only niggle was that most of the attention went elsewhere, but that was hardly surprising.

Istabraq, who beat Hors La Loi by four lengths in the Champion Hurdle of 2000, was always going to be the story of this year's race. Being pulled up after just two flights was just an angle we hadn't foreseen.

"I will never train another National Hunt horse like him again," said Aidan O'Brien. "I've never seen a better hurdler. I'm very happy he is okay. If he had been injured I would have felt very bad."

For a man who had just seen the 2 to 1 favourite pull up on the verge of a record fourth championship win, O'Brien appeared remarkably relieved.

"Charlie did absolutely the right thing. The horse didn't feel any pain. Charlie said he hit his back at the first and so he pulled him up.

"There's no doubt last year not taking place cost him, because missing that meant his body has had to take a much bigger step this year," he said.

There was also more than a hint of pride in what Istabraq has achieved since he won the SunAlliance here in 1997.

"People kept saying we weren't beating much in the Champion Hurdle, but those are the same horses he was beating easily all the time. Hors La Loi was one of them."

The horse who might have been a pretender to Istabraq's throne was Valiramix, but the Martin Pipe-trained grey paid the ultimate price after clipping heels with Ansar on the run to the second last.

He was taken to the racecourse stables and examined but was found to have fractured a shoulder and was put down soon afterwards.

Even though Valiramix had sweated up in the parade ring and pulled quite hard on the way to the start, Tony McCoy was still travelling sweetly on the grey until the fatal clash.

That left Hors La Loi as the main threat to Ansar at the second last flight, and this time, without the presence of Istabraq, the French-bred made no mistake in adding the championship to his 1999 Supreme Novices success.

Marble Arch emerged as the best of the rest and held a brief shout of catching the winner over the last, only for Gallagher and Hors La Loi to power away.

"It's great to be back," said Gallagher. "I feel like I've paid back the support I've got from Paul Green (owner) when I was suspended. This is a horse we always thought could win this."

Gallagher had only one previous festival winner, but it was a second Champion Hurdle for trainer James Fanshawe who won with Royal Gait 10 years ago.

"It's great for Dean, who drove from Exeter to Newmarket the other day to ride his final piece of work and then had to go to Bangor the next day," he said.

"I train just two jumpers and they both ran today. Eternal Spring ran a good race in the first and it was lucky he was only fourth. You don't win two races in a day at Cheltenham!"

Bilboa ran third for Francois Doumen, who had trained Hors La Loi to his previous success.

"I look at my ex-horse and I'm glad for Fanshawe. I used to adore Hors La Loi," said Doumen.

Marble Arch's jockey, Ruby Walsh, reported: "I thought I might win going to the last but the winner pulled out a little bit more and beat me well."

Not so well, however, that Cashmans bookmakers made Hors La Loi just 16 to 1 third favourite to retain his crown next year, behind the 10 to 1 favourite, Like-A-Butterfly.