Cheltenham hat-trick delights Ruby

Ruby Walsh wasted no time in putting his stamp on the race to be crowned top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival by riding a first day treble.

As well as winning the feature race on Hurricane Fly, Walsh took the opening Stan James Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Paul Nicholls' Al Ferof before Quevega won her third straight David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle in effortless fashion.

Walsh had been out of the saddle for nearly five months with a broken leg and had only ridden one winner from a handful of rides in the days leading up to the meeting, leading some to question his match-fitness.

But in Al Ferof (10-1) he had a willing partner, one that stayed on stoutly up the hill to beat Spirit Son with Cue Card a disappointing fourth.

Walsh divides his time between riding for Willie Mullins in Ireland and Paul Nicholls in England, and he plumped for the right horse.

"I went into the ring expecting Paul to tell me to ride him in the first three, but he said no, give him time to settle and come home and he was right," said Walsh.

"I wasn't put under any pressure from Paul and Willie (Mullins) but I went for Al Ferof as I thought he'd handle the ground better than Zaidpour.

"It's great to be back. It's the perfect way to start the week."

After Hurricane Fly won the Champion Hurdle, Walsh then had an armchair ride on Mullins' Quevega (5-6) who looked better than ever winning what will surely one day be known as her race.

"She's a super mare, she travels super and apart from the last there were no scares," said Walsh.

"She has so much class, she settles a lot better now and lobs away. She's a perfect ride."

Mullins added: "I thought we were a gallop short this year, but she certainly won very easily.

"Ruby loves her and they fire off one another. He rode her with such confidence."

Philip Hobbs got the decision right over which race to run Captain Chris in as the 6-1 chance stormed up the hill to catch Finian's Rainbow in the Irish Independent Arkle.

Finian's Rainbow had jumped for fun at the head of affairs but the petrol tank was on empty after the last as Richard Johnson brought his mount through to lead.

"We've got it right now anyway! We've always thought he wanted two and a half miles and, to be fair, I still think he does," said Hobbs.

"He was at work quite a long way from home, but his jumping was mustard. He was a little bit right-handed, he'll always do that."

Alan King's Bensalem won the Stewart Family Spinal Research Handicap Chase 12 months after falling at the second-last, just holding off the game Carole's Legacy under Rober Thornton.

Thornton said: "I'm certain he would have won last year and I'm so pleased he's done it this time.

"He's a big brute of a horse and he shouldn't be scared of anything. I was a bit further back than I would have liked, but they went such a gallop early on. This really makes up for last year."

Ferdy Murphy came up trumps yet again with Divers in the Centenary Novices` Chase, the only surprise being his winner was a paltry 10-1 this year.

He said: "We knew he wasn't good enough for championship races so we thought we'd come for this race and get him a nice mark, but we've nearly overdone it. It's nice when a plan comes together."

Henry de Bromhead's Sizing Australia (13-2) denied Enda Bolger's Garde Champetre in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase under Andrew Lynch.