Irish off to a flyer

A spectacular opening day at the Cheltenham festival saw four Irish trained wins.

The day began in terrific style when Paul Carberry, returning from injury landed the williamhill.com Supreme Novices Hurdle aboard Go Native.

The winner, trained by Noel Meade, was sent off a 12/1 chance and travelled supremely well behind the leaders as the race unfolded.

Carberry sent the gelding to the front jumping the second last flight and despite a slight mistake at the final obstacle the pair had a neck to spare at the line from the unlucky Medermit.

The favourite, Cousin Vinny, was the subject of bad vibes in the run up to the race, but produced a fine effort to finish fifth despite making several minor errors.

Jubilant scenes followed the very next race, the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy, when Forpadydeplasterer (8/1) raised the roof with a short-head victory for the Goat Racing Syndicate.

The Tom Cooper trained 7-year-old put his string of second placings behind him with a gutsy victory from Kalahari King.

Favourite backers got no run for their money when the well-supported Tatenen in the hands of Ruby Walsh was an early casualty. Both horse and rider escaped injury.

Cooper said afterwards: "The Arkle was always the plan for this horse and it is always great when it comes together.

"Barry Geraghty really is the man for the moment at Cheltenham and his record here is amazing. He is a genius and a man for the big days."

Little did Cooper know that Geraghty would live up to his billing just over an hour later when he won a most trilling renewal of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle aboard last year's third Punjabi (22/1).

Only a neck and a head separated the first three home in the featured race, and all three were ridden by Irish jockeys.

Ruby Walsh finished second on Celestial Halo and Tony McCoy came third aboard the favourite Binocular.

Ruby was handed a 3-day suspension by the Cheltenham stewards for his use of the whip on Celestial Halo, but that is but a distant memory following the performance of his mount Quevega in the final race of the opening day, the David Nicholson Mare's Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins' trained 2/1 favourite routed her rivals for a most impressive wide-margin victory and all going well she will not look out of place in next season's World Hurdle.

Ride of the day must go to Tony McCoy who somehow conjured a victory out of Wichita Lineman (5/1 favourite) in the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase.

The horse was off the bridle from halfway and at no stage looked capable of winning, but McCoy never gave up and the pair eventually hit the front with a matter of yards to run.

The winner will be extra sweet for McCoy as it was in the colours of his boss J.P. McManus who celebrated his 58 birthday today.

McManus' birthday was complete when horses carrying his colours filled the first three places in the Cross Country Chase.

Nina Carberry rode her fourth winner at the festival when landing the race for the second successive year aboard Garde Champetre.

The Favourite L'ami finished second and Drombeag took third. All three horses are trained by Enda Bolger in Co. Limerick.ck.