Vautour struck for the powerful Irish team of Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle , the opening race on day one of the
Cheltenham Festival. The 7-2 joint-favourite made nearly all the running as he swept to a convincing victory, in course-record time.
Nicky Henderson supplied the placed horses with Josses Hill beaten six lengths in second and Vaniteux another half a length away in third.
Walsh had the Rich Ricci-owned Vautour quickly away to set the pace with Splash Of Ginge, The Liquidator and Valseur Lido close up.
Gilgamboa ruined his chance with a bad mistake two out, while Irving, the other 7-2 joint-favourite, was struggling early on and could never get into a challenging position.
Up front, Vautour kept pulling out more as he stormed away to take his 100 per cent record to four since he joined Mullins from France. Josses Hill came out of the pack to do best of the home contingent ahead of his stablemate Vaniteux.
Walsh said: “I rode him like a stayer, I wasn’t going to drop him in, and he jumped brilliantly. I’ve been doubting him all week, but he’s a serious horse. “He was doing a hack all the way and he jumped super when I needed him.”
Mullins said: “That takes the pressure off a bit. He was very keen over the first and second hurdles, but I think Ruby accepted he was going to be keen and let him gallop and use his stride.
“The next thing it was like he was on a different set of rails to the other horses. That’s what I found amazing. I thought if he could keep that up he was going to produce a performance like he did, and he did. It was just the way he cruised in front. It’s extraordinary that a horse can have that sort of control in a Supreme for one that everyone had down as stayer.
“He made a mistake and I was worried that might knock the stuffing out of him, but he picked himself up and jumped the last. You could see him the whole way (up the run-in) idling — he wasn’t even racing.”
Western Warhorse caused a huge upset in the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham.
Champion Bumper and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Champagne Fever was an 11-4 joint-favourite to complete the Festival hat-trick and jumped superbly at the head of affairs under Ruby Walsh.
However, Western Warhorse tracked him into the straight under a confident Tom Scudamore and quickened up to lead after jumping the final fence.
Champagne Fever did his best to battle back, but 33-1 shot Western Warhorse passed the post a head to the good. Champagne Fever’s fellow joint-favourite Trifolium was four lengths away in third.
With Mullins having already taken the opening race with the incredibly impressive Vautour, Champagne Fever was unsurprisingly popular with punters to complete a double for Ireland’s champion trainer.
Everything appeared to be going well for most of the two-mile contest, with Champagne Fever fencing immaculately, but few would have expected the David Pipe-trained Western Warhorse to still be in with a shout on the run-in and he rallied under a jubilant Scudamore.
Irish Arkle hero Trifolium ran well in third without being able to match the front two after the final obstacle.
The major disappointment of the race was 2012 Champion Hurdle hero Rock On Ruby, runner-up behind Hurricane Fly in last year’s Champion. He made a shuddering error at the third fence and Noel Fehily did remarkably well to keep the partnership intact.
However, he was soon back-pedalling and never looked likely to land a telling blow.
Holywell followed up last year's win in the Pertemps Hurdle Final with a game victory in the Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
Ma Filleule took a narrow lead over the final fence, but Holywell (10-1) battled stoutly up the hill to get his head in front and keep the mare at bay by a length and three-quarters.
The Package was seven lengths away in third with Green Flag fourth.
Richie McLernon was the lucky rider for the second year running as Tony McCoy was aboard Jonjo O’Neill’s other runner, the 7-1 favourite Alfie Sherrin, who was successful in this race for owner JP McManus in 2012.
Harding McLernon said: “This lad has got a home for life with me if he needs it! He was dynamite. He jumped brilliantly and travelled — I took him some places and he got me out of them every time.
“He has a great trainer, the best in England and Ireland — he’s brilliant and absolutely gifted. Today is what it’s all about.”
Midnight Prayer claimed top honours in the Terry Biddlecombe National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham for trainer Alan King and amateur rider Joshua Newman.
The 8-1 chance moved sweetly throughout the four-mile test and was one of a number of horses still in with a chance as the field rounded the home turn for the final time.
Leading fancy Shotgun Paddy did not jump as well as the winner, but appeared to have been produced to win by Derek O’Connor approaching the last fence.
However, Midnight Prayer jumped the obstacle the better of the pair and dug deep on the run to the line to prevail by a neck.
The eyecatcher of the race was the Willie Mullins-trained Suntiep, who was dropped out last for much of the journey by the trainer’s son, Patrick, but flew home to pick up minor honours in third.
Well-supported favourite Foxrock was still in there pitching in the straight, but could not pick up as well as the leaders.
King said: “He was always in the right position and Josh gave him a beautiful ride.
“My thoughts are with the owner-breeder John Reynolds. He’s 85 or 86. He got rushed away just an hour before the race with a massive heart attack. We just hope he’s going to be all right.”
Present View survived a lengthy stewards' inquiry to give trainer Jamie Snowden a first Festival winner as he held Attaglance in a dramatic finish to the Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase. Brendan Powell, who opened his account at this meeting 12 months ago, brought the 8-1 shot with a well-timed challenge to lead after the third-last.
Malcolm Jefferson’s Attaglance put in a strong challenge and his rider Brian Hughes made a daring bid to try to get up the inside on the run-in.
When the door closed, Attaglance was switched to the outside and closed the gap to half a length at the line. Pendra was three lengths away in third and Ahyaknowyerself was fourth.
Results
1.30 Supreme Novices' Hurdle
1 Vautour (R Walsh) 7-2 Jt Fav
2 Josses Hill (A Tinkler) 14-1
3 Vaniteux (B J Geraghty) 11-1
2.05 Arkle Trophy
1 Western Warhorse (T Scudamore) 33-1
2 Champagne Fever (R Walsh) 11-4 Jt Fav
3 Trifolium (B J Cooper) 11-4 Jt Fav
2.40 Handicap Chase
1 Holywell (R P McLernon) 10-1
2 Ma Filleule (Nico de Boinville) 33-1
3 The Package (T Scudamore) 16-1
4 Green Flag (P Buchanan) 16-1
3.20 Champion Hurdle
1 Jezki (B J Geraghty) 9-1
2 My Tent Or Yours (A P McCoy) 3-1
3 The New One (Sam Twiston-Davies) 10-3
4.00 Mares' Hurdle
1 Quevega (R Walsh) 8-11 Fav
2 Glens Melody (P Townend) 14-1
3 L'unique (R Thornton) 25-1
4.40 National Hunt Chase
1 Midnight Prayer (Mr Joshua Newman) 8-1
2 Shotgun Paddy (Mr Derek O'Connor) 7-2
3 Suntiep (Mr P W Mullins) 9-1
5.15 Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase
1 Present View (Brendan Powell) 8-1
2 Attaglance (B Hughes) 10-1
3 Pendra (A P McCoy) 8-1
4 Ahyaknowyerself (Sam Twiston-Davies) 33-1
