Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Special Tiara sparkles in the Champion Chase as Willie Mullins’ Douvan is unplaced
Henry de Bomhead's chaser had finished third in the race for the last two years and thoroughly deserved landing the big prize
SPECIAL TIARA sprung a huge surprise as he landed the Champion Chase for Henry de Bromhead with Douvan unable to make an impact.
The 2-9 favourite never looked comfortable and was beaten a long way out, but Noel Fehily gave Special Tiara a peach of a ride to take advantage.
The pair practically made all and just had enough left to hold off Fox Norton who was finishing well.
Sir Valentino ran a screamer to finish third.
Fehily, who won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, said: "Unbelievable. He's such a great ride, he's everything a two-mile chaser should be. He's a very good horse.
"I didn't so (beat Douvan), but I thought I had a great chance of being second. I got over the last and was surprised something hadn't come to me, but I knew he wasn't stopping.
"He has one way of running and that's flat to the mat and jump - I just let him get on with it.
"I've always loved two-mile chasers, the Champion Chase is the one you want to win. To win it is fantastic."
Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead said: "It's an amazing day, I'm just so pleased for everyone involved.
"He seemed in great form coming into it, but it was hard to believe (could win) with Douvan and everything else - Douvan had looked so good.
"For our lad, he just tries his heart out and no-one deserves it more.
MOST READ
"I thought he jumped the slickest he's ever jumped. Often he jumps a bit high. Incredible.
"Any day you win a Grade One at Cheltenham is just an amazing day."
Mullins believes there will be extenuating factors behind Douvan's meek performance in seventh place.
The trainer said: "He was clearly never going and I thought at the top of the hill he'd do very well to win.
"I'm assuming something happened when he put in those huge jumps, which I've never seen him do before.
"I imagine I'll find a physical problem with him.
"Ruby (Walsh) said he didn't jump like he normally does and when I saw him jump the first couple of fences, I knew he couldn't get away with it in a Champion Chase.
"I'd been hoping he's my best ever and it's my job to try and get him back if I can.
"Ruby said he didn't feel like he was moving well behind and I imagine we'll find a problem."
Trainer Colin Tizzard said of Fox Norton: "When he jumped the last it looked like he was going to get there.
"Special Tiara has done this for the last few years but, to be fair to the horse, he pulled out more.
"We had a conversation about this race and Douvan or the Ryanair and I still don't know if we made the right choice.
"He's been lame twice this season and we didn't know if he'd damaged his tendon after the Shloer at Cheltenham as he was stood in his box for a month.
"Because of that he's a fresh horse so he'll go to Aintree next over two and a half miles.
"Aidan (Coleman) said he'd jumped better on that ground than he ever had. It's just annoying to come so close."