Ruby Walsh returns triumphant on Noland.

By PA Sport Staff

Paul Nicholls is enjoying a tremendous season and started the Cheltenham Festival in the best possible style as Noland flashed home to take the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Sweet Wake was the choice of the legions of Irish punters who sent him off the 5-2 favourite, but Nicholls and Ruby Walsh were out to spoil the party with their now four-time winner.

The 6-1 shot was still a mile behind coming to the last, but Walsh knuckled down and drove the five-year-old home up the stands side rail to nail the Tony McCoy-ridden Straw Bear (11-1) by a neck in the shadow of the post.

"Jumping the last I thought I might stay on to be fourth. I knew we would get closer but I didn't think we were going to get there and I only thought we had won when the judge called number 10," said Walsh.

There was a handful in with a chance over the last, including the Noel Meade-trained market leader, but it was Straw Bear who pulled away best of all only to be caught by Noland in the dying strides, with long-time leader Buena Vista and Sublimity, whose chance was not helped by a loose horse at the top of the hill, filling the third and fourth spots.

"That's a brilliant start to the meeting and Ruby gave him a great ride," said Nicholls.

"He always stays on strongly so I said to Ruby to bounce him out, let him bowl along and have a breather down the hill, which is what he did.

"He does want two miles plus and it is a good job that it rained and it made the ground slower for him. He always stays on strongly and does his best work late.

"He is a chaser through and through and will jump a fence but will probably have too much pace for the SunAlliance (Chase), although he probably does want two and a half (miles)."

However, another couple of outings over timber are on the agenda in the immediate future, with the sponsors quoting him as a 4-1 chance to land the VC Bet Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival on April 25, where if successful he would collect a 25,000 Euro bonus.

"He takes his racing so we might go on to Aintree, although that might be a sharp enough track for him. There is a two and a half miler there though, but we just have to see - he has done the main job here," added Nicholls.

Owner John Hales admitted he did not know his horse had won.

"I got caught up in hundreds of people and I couldn't see the screen. I hadn't a clue he'd won the race. I couldn't see the finish," he said.

"He's one of the few horses you'll see at Cheltenham bred to be in the Derby. He looked a chaser when we bought him and this is a bonus.

"I didn't know where he had finished. I was gobsmacked."

Straw Bear just failed in his bid to extend his winning run over hurdles to three, and trainer Nick Gifford said: "He just got outstayed up the hill. There were no excuses, he was not fluent at the last but you have got to jump them all.

"He's a smashing horse and hopefully we will be back here next year for the Champion Hurdle.

"He's every bit as good as we thought he was and he's proven today he's a very good horse.

"He's had a light campaign and if he comes out of this bucking and squealing and if the ground is suitable, there's always Aintree and Punchestown.

"Tony said he could have done with a stronger pace but we have no excuses."