Nuit triumph in Festival finale

The pain of Cue Card’s defeat in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle will be a distant memory for Colin Tizzard as Oiseau De Nuit stormed up the hill to win the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, the final race of the 2011 Cheltenham Festival.

Nicky Henderson had made no secret of the fact he wanted to win the race named in honour of his father and his Tanks For That and Anquetta led the field into the straight, but appeared to burn each other out.

Tizzard’s nine-year-old, confidently ridden by 7lb claimer Steven Clements, appeared on the scene at the second-last and looked full of running.

The 40-1 shot bounded clear of Askthemaster (50-1), who travelled extremely well throughout, to win by three and a quarter lengths.

Leo’s Lucky Star was third, with De Boitron fourth.

Clements said: "I can't believe it, I'll wake up any minute now. I got a good spin the whole way, I was just hoping I wouldn't fall off.

“I have so many people to thank.”

Successful owner Terry Warner, who was securing his first winner of the season, said: ``We decided to claim off him because the weights went up.

“I’ve actually won the Grand Annual before with Kibreet, who I owned in partnership with somebody, and he was Tony McCoy’s first Festival winner.

“I can’t believe it because he was lame on Monday so we nearly didn’t run him, but Colin has got him right and has done a good job.

“He’s been a good money-spinner for us.”