Drever creates World Hurdle history

Inglis Drever made Cheltenham Festival history with a record third success in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, formerly the Stayers.

The 11-8 favourite, winner in 2005 and 2007, was patiently ridden by Denis O´Regan and got the better of Kasbah Bliss on the tough uphill run to the line, with the always prominent Kazal in third.

The nine-year-old, trained by Howard Johnson and owned by Graham Wylie, retained his stayers´ crown in typically stout fashion and became the first of his age group to win this race since Galmoy in the late 1980´s.

As expected Lough Derg made the running with Hardy Eustace just behind and it was the latter, a dual Champion Hurdle hero, who went on at the fourth-last.

However, there was going to be no fairytale final Festival triumph for jockey Conor O´Dwyer as Hardy Eustace seemingly failed to stay the three miles.

Kazal made his bid for glory after the third-last but he was pursued by Kasbah Bliss, Inglis Drever and My Way De Solzen.

But there was no denying Inglis Drever, who jumped into the lead at the final flight and stayed on in typical game fashion to hold French raider Kasbah Bliss (9-1) by a length, with the first two pulling seven lengths clear of Kazal (12-1).

O´Regan said: "What a horse! I can´t believe it, it´s a dream. He´s a serious horse. I never panicked and I was never in any trouble. It was a good jump at the last and he did the rest."

Johnson enthused: "It feels great, he missed a year and he´s come good again. All credit to the horse firstly.

"Andrea and Graham (Wylie) have been very good supporters for the yard and I´m pleased for them. It´s just unbelievable."

The County Durham handler had mentioned the possibility of retiring Inglis Drever if he won a third World Hurdle but has yet to reach a decision.

Johnson added: "I´ll have a word with Graham at the end of the season and if he´s a chance of winning the Order of Merit I might think about going to Aintree, my lucky course.

"We might come back for one more next year but he won´t have a lot more races. It was near enough the best training performance of my life."

Wylie added: "I was quiet until he came over the last and then I was going crackers. It was a great performance by Howard Johnson, it´s just fantastic.

"We knew the horses were in good form and the good horses have run very well."