Nina Carberry cools nerves

Sublimity might have provided the quality highlight on day one of the festival but those with more financial priorities were giving thanks for Philip Carberry's sister Nina, who guided Heads Onthe Ground to a satchel-emptying victory in the Cross-Country Chase.

Ebaziyan provided another Irish success in the opening Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle but at 40 to 1, the Willie Mullins-trained grey, under a fine ride by Davy Condon, made very few visiting punters rich.

Later, another Cork-born Davy - Davy Russell - was the man on board Joes Edge, who edged out Juveigneur and Distant Thunder in a thrilling William Hill Chase. But that horse was a 50 to 1 shot so by the time JP McManus's supposed handicap "good thing" lined up for the cross-country marathon, there appeared to be a close-your-eyes-and-pray element to the momentum behind Heads Onthe Ground in the ring.

Carberry, however, cooled any nerves with an ice-cool delivery of the Enda Bolger-trained favourite in the straight to hold off Silver Birch and Le Duc.

"Up to about an hour before the race I thought the ground was going to be too soft for him but Nina has given him a brilliant ride," grinned a delighted Bolger, whose veteran cross-country specialist Spot Thedifference was fourth. "Today is Nina's day. She's some rider."

Carberry herself said, "There was a gap turning into the straight and I was lucky enough to get it. That's the way race-riding goes - I was just lucky I had enough horse underneath me. He did stop in front but there was enough there to keep going."

The victory completed a treble for Irish-trained horses on the day that began with Ebaziyan springing a major surprise by beating off Granit Jack and the favourite, Amaretto Rose, to provide Willie Mullins with a 10th festival success.

"After a bad year for us last year, it's great to start off like this," said Mullins, who had been training Ebaziyan for the 2006 Supreme until a broken pelvis for the classically bred ex-John Oxx-trained horse delayed matters by a year.

"He ran at Cork, where I couldn't believe he was beaten, and then he did win at Thurles, where he wasn't impressive because I probably ran him back too quick. I knew there was more in the locker but I thought if everything went perfectly he might get in the first three," he added.

It was a first Cheltenham win for Condon, a former star apprentice on the Flat whose association with the talented but quirky Holy Orders took in a run in the Melbourne Cup.

"This is something else again," smiled the young jockey, who picked up a two-day whip ban. "I was lucky the favourite was next to me for most of the race and so I had something to follow."

There was a reassuring inevitability in the manner that My Way de Solzen graduated to the top of the tree over fences when running out an impressive five-length winner of the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy. A slight mistake at the second last was the only hiccup during the race, and that was the same obstacle that claimed two of his big rivals in behind, Don't Push It and Twist Magic. Instead it was left to the favourite, Fair Along, who looked beaten at half-way, to chase the former Stayers Hurdle winner up the hill.

"It's been a pretty nerve-wracking 48 hours and I'm just glad we got it right in going for this race," said My Way de Solzen's trainer, Alan King.

"That was a special performance to drop back from three miles to two. I've got all sorts of problems now for next year. Is it Queen Mother or Gold Cup. Here we go again."

Bookmakers were also split on that, the horse earning general 8 to 1 quotes for the Champion Chase and 10 to 1 prices for the Gold Cup.

David Pipe saddled his first festival runners yesterday and got it right as Gaspara collected a £75,000 bonus for adding the Fred Winter Hurdle to her success in Saturday's Imperial Cup at Sandown.