Cheltenham Review:Poker De Sivola, trained by Ferdy Murphy and ridden by Katie Walsh, showed bags of stamina to claim the 140th Year of the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup - the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Sent off a 14-1 shot under Walsh, the seven-year-old was under pressure after the second-last as Nina Carberry kicked for home on Becauseicouldntsee.
However, Walsh showed a style as forceful as her brother, Ruby, to drive the Murphy-trained runner down to the last and Poker De Sivola responded to her urgings to come home two and a quarter lengths clear.
"I'm lost for words," said a tearful Walsh. "I don't want to sound soft or anything, but this is the best day of my life.
"My dad (Ted Walsh) is always the person I go to for advice and I'm sure he'll be delighted, it will mean a lot to him."
Murphy added: "She gave him a fantastic ride. He was a bit unlucky in the Kim Muir last year when he got pushed a bit wide.
"We rang up the 'wind man' to see if he thought he needed anything doing, but he said just put a cross-noseband on him.
"It's fantastic for the Walsh family, and Ruby's grandfather was a big help to me when I was starting out."
Weapon's Amnesty dented a couple of lofty reputations in Long Run and Punchestowns when running away with the RSA Chase.
Sent off at 10-1, having won just one of his previous five starts over fences, the Charles Byrnes-trained gelding was recording his second successive Festival triumph after landing the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 12 months ago.
The seven-year-old travelled strongly throughout in the hands of Davy Russell and moved smoothly into contention down the hill.
Citizen Vic was still in front jumping the second-last but took a crashing fall, after which Weapon's Amnesty quickly went to the lead and powered up the hill to score by seven lengths.
The Nicky Henderson-trained Long Run could not quicken in the straight and was eventually caught by stablemate Burton Port on the run-in for second.
The disappointment of the race was last year's World Hurdle runner-up Punchestowns, also trained by Henderson, who was beaten a long way from home.
Big Zeb finally fulfilled his abundant promise with a brilliant display in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The 10-1 chance has always been held in the highest regard by Colm Murphy but his jumping had previously come up short on a number of occasions.
This time, however, there was not a semblance of a mistake as Barry Geraghty’s mount cruised into the lead on the turn for home and was kept up to his work to beat Forpadydeplasterer by six lengths.
The disappointment was dual champion chaser Master Minded, who could only finish a lacklustre fourth.
A delighted Murphy said: “He’s had his bad days but everything has gone well.
“Barry really believes in him and the pair of them have struck up a great relationship.
“Every day you live with the horse and for him do this is just magic.”
Master Minded’s owner, Clive Smith, said: “He didn’t assert himself but we’ll be back, I’m sure.”
Peddlers Cross (7-1) delivered a knockout blow for Donald McCain in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.
McCain said: “After he won his novice hurdle at Bangor, Jason (Maguire) got off him and said he was the best horse he’d ever ridden.
“He did a piece of work at Bangor last week that scared me to death - it was mind-blowing.”
Sanctuaire slammed his rivals by upwards of nine lengths in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, giving trainer Paul Nicholls his first win of the meeting and making Walsh the all-time winning-most Festival jockey.
The concluding Weatherbys Champion Bumper had been dominated by the Irish for the last six years but Colin Tizzard’s 40-1 chance Cue Card sprung a huge surprise with a mightily impressive performance.
Today's Results
1.30 National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup
1 Poker De Sivola (Ms K Walsh) 14-1
2 Becauseicouldntsee (Miss N Carberry) 13-2
3 Prudent Honour (Mr M J O'Connor) 40-1
18 ran
Also: 6-1 Fav Mobaasher, 7-1 Any Currency 4th
2.05 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle
1 Peddlers Cross (J M Maguire) 7-1
2 Reve De Sivola (D Jacob) 15-2
3 Rite Of Passage (Mr R P McNamara) 7-2 Fav
17 ran
Also: 10-1 Summit Meeting 4th
2.40 RSA Chase
1 Weapon's Amnesty (D N Russell) 10-1
2 Burton Port (A P McCoy) 9-1
3 Long Run (Mr S Waley-Cohen) 11-4
9 ran
Also: 2-1 Fav Punchestowns, 16-1 Knockara Beau 4th
3.20 Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase
1 Big Zeb (B J Geraghty) 10-1
2 Forpadydeplasterer (A P McCoy) 10-1
3 Kalahari King (G Lee) 9-2
9 ran
Also: 4-5 Fav Master Minded 4th
4.00 Coral Cup
1 Spirit River (B J Geraghty) 14-1
2 Tullamore Dew (L Treadwell) 80-1
3 James De Vassy (D Jacob) 16-1
4 Micheal Flips (Nick Scholfield) 33-1
28 ran
4.40 Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handical Hurdle
1 Sanctuaire (R Walsh) 4-1 Fav
2 Notus De La Tour (J W Farrelly) 13-2
3 Orsippus (D J Condon) 33-1
4 Son Amix (B J Cooper) 14-1
24 ran
5.15 Weatherby's Champion Bumper
1 Cue Card (J Tizzard) 40-1
2 Al Ferof (R Walsh) 8-1
3 Frawley (B J Geraghty) 14-1
24 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Shot From The Hip, 13-2 Tavern Times 4th