Champion Hurdle report:   Maybe it's naïve but at least some of the silence that greeted Hardy Eustace's 33 to 1 triumph in yesterday's Smurfit Champion Hurdle must have come for non-financial reasons.

Cheltenham is now such a raucously commercial entity that only the foolish would regard a lot of the vocal indifference as anything but a vast echo from empty pockets.

But there were still more than enough people thinking of Kieran Kelly and placing Hardy Eustace's shock victory in its proper perspective.

It's only a year since Hardy Eustace also battled his way up the Cheltenham hill to win the SunAlliance: only seven months since his jockey hit the ground at Kilbeggan and lost his life.

There's a long way between an evening meeting in Co Westmeath and the Champion Hurdle winner's enclosure but not enough to lessen the ache of loss that enveloped the celebrations yesterday.

"It's great for the people involved but Kieran's death does take away from it. He must have had something to do with this somehow. He was a fabulous guy who gave us every confidence in the horse," said trainer Dessie Hughes whose late decision to aim Hardy Eustace at the race instead of today's Coral Cup paid off spectacularly.

As a former Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winning rider, Hughes has known great days here, none more so than when Monksfield won the championship hurdle in 1979.

Conor O'Dwyer's only previous festival success was Imperial Call in the 1996 Gold Cup but even his accession to the most elite club of Cheltenham achievement couldn't stop him thinking of what might have been.

"This is very tough. Kieran was a great friend of mine. It's just a very emotional day," said the 37- year-old veteran who poured all his experience into an exceptional championship performance.

Beforehand every jockey in the race knew the way to beat the reigning champ' and hot favourite Rooster Booster was to ensure a slow early pace.

O'Dwyer, confident in Hardy Eustace's stamina, looked a contender to cut out the gallop and so it proved. Except he was cutting it out for himself.

"I went an even gallop the whole way and I knew he'd stay. I don't know what excuses the others will have - and I don't care!" he grinned afterwards. As for excuses there didn't appear to be anything obvious.

Rooster Booster took a speculative tug at the reins in the first few strides but then dropped the bit allowing Richard Johnson ride the race he wanted.

At the third last the grey appeared to be going like a winner but then Johnson betrayed his real feelings by ducking for the inside behind Hardy Eustace.

Sure enough Rooster Booster quickly exhibited distress signals and as if O'Dwyer needed an excuse he got into overdrive on the Irish outsider.

"I was never headed, and when Rooster Booster got to me I knew my fellah would battle and stay on," explained the jockey.

An agonisingly close defeat on War Of Attrition in the opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle had continued his depressing streak of placed festival efforts over the years. A three-day whip ban afterwards only added to the sting but O'Dwyer is clearly one of those who is fortunate, when he wins, wins big.

"This is right upsides Imperial Call and more poignant because of the situation with Kieran," he said. "I was confident going to the last but I didn't think he would win so easily. He has improved so much all season." There were no excuses from the Rooster Booster camp with trainer Philip Hobbs saying: "He was brilliant throughout, making no mistakes, but he just wasn't good enough. The third (Intersky Falcon) was four lengths back so it was a good run. We just met a better horse on the day." The irony for Hobbs was that he had welcomed Hughes's decision to run Hardy Eustace, believing it would be good for the pace of the race.

He found out there is pace and winning pace. And we found out how bitter success can sometimes taste.