Like-A-Butterfly is as low as 10 to 1 favourite to recover the Champion Hurdle crown next year for JP McManus after getting the Irish off to a perfect start in the Gerrard Supreme Novices Hurdle.
Heavily backed to 7 to 4 favourite, the mare kept her unbeaten record by just a neck from Westender. But speculation afterwards centred on whether or not she would have beaten Adamant Approach had he not fallen at the last. "I was very unlucky. I am sure I would have won," reported Ruby Walsh.
Adamant Approach challenged the favourite on the run to the last and looked to have a slight advantage when tipping over. "I feel for Ruby. He might have beaten me, but he might have helped me too. She is very tough," said Charlie Swan, who was picking up the 16th festival success of his career.
It was a second Cheltenham winner for trainer Christy Roche and it was a real family success for the McManus family with JP McManus reporting he gave shares in the mare to his children as Christmas presents.
Moscow Flyer had the Irish fans thinking this year's festival was going to be easy after he put in an almost foot-perfect round of jumping to win the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy. Barry Geraghty had the Jessica Harrington-trained star on the outside at the top of the hill and any fears about his jumping the downhill fence soon disappeared as he powered clear of the favourite Seebald.
"Once he was over the third last, I was happy. I've been saying all year he is a smashing jumper. He was just unlucky to fall the twice. He proved it today," said Harrington, who previously won the 1999 Grand Annual with Space Trucker.
The rest of the afternoon was a blank for Irish trainers, but Paul Carberry rode the fifth festival winner of his career on Frenchman's Creek, who showed a wonderful turn of foot from the last to win the William Hill Handicap. David Crosse, a 19-year-old farmer's son from Co Tipperary, won the Kim Muir on The Bushkeeper who headed a Nicky Henderson-trained one-two in the amateur contest. Crosse works for Charlie Mann in Lambourn and is the current leading amateur in Britain with 17 winners. Irish-born riders continued their domination as Tony Dobbin drove Freetown clear of Surprising from the last to land the Pertemps Final.
