Cheltenham: Inglis Drever ran out a thrilling winner of an incident-packed renewal of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, the feature race on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Paddy Brennan had to get serious with the 5-1 chance - winner of the race in 2005 - from a long way out but he jumped the penultimate flight with every chance and dug deep to hold Mighty Man by three-quarters of a length.
Blazing Bailey ran on well to claim third, four lengths behind the principals, but Black Jack Ketchum took an early fall, much to the dismay of favourite-backers.
The runners had barely settled into a rhythm when Black Jack Ketchum crashed out, but thankfully Jonjo O'Neill's charge seemed none the worse for the spill.
Inglis Drever and Mighty Man both hit their characteristic flat spots early on and neither looked like taking a hand until the race began in earnest.
The winner, who became the first horse to regain his crown since Crimson Embers 21 years ago, was being driven vigorously a long way out and did not move into contention until the field descended the hill.
Having had to ride for all he was worth, Brennan suddenly found himself in front on the run to the last and Inglis Drever delivered a grand jump when required.
Mighty Man was less fluent at the final obstacle but Richard Johnson also got a fine tune out of his mount and pressed the winner all the way to the line.
Blazing Bailey had travelled best of the three until the straight and ran a bold race for a five-year-old.
There was an early Irish winner on the board as L'Antartique benefited from a supremely well-judged Graham Lee ride to land odds of 20-1 in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase, the opening race on day three.
The Ferdy Murphy-trained runner was settled well off the early gallop and still had a fair amount of ground to make up as the field swung down the hill.
Lee galvanised his mount between the final two fences and L'Antartique bounded two lengths clear of the staying-on Bob Hall (10-1) to claim victory, with Wee Robbie a further two and a half lengths away in third.
Taranis, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, won the Ryanair Chase.
Our Vic, ridden by Timmy Murphy, put in a gallant finish but had to settle for second ahead of Richard Johnson's 20-1 mount Billyvoddan.
Cheltenham Results - Day Three
2.00
1 L'Antartique (G Lee) 20-1
2 Bob Hall (N Fehily) 10-1
3 Wee Robbie (L Aspell) 20-1
4 Rasharrow (K Mercer) 14-1
2.35
1 Taranis (R Walsh) 9-2
2 Our Vic (T J Murphy) 7-2
3 Billyvoddan (R Johnson) 20-1
3.15
1 Inglis Drever (P J Brennan) 5-1
2 Mighty Man (R Johnson) 10-3
3 Blazing Bailey (R Thornton) 8-1
4.00
1 Idole First (A O'Keeffe) 12-1
2 Palarshan (R Johnson) 28-1
3 Mariah Rollins (M A Fitzgerald) 20-1
4 Le Volfoni (J Tizzard) 16-1
4.40
1 Butler's Cabin (Mr Alan
Berry) 33/1
2 Character Building (Mr Derek O'Connor) 7/1
3 Countess Trifaldi (Mr C J
Sweeney)100/1
4 High Cotton 50/1
5.20
1 Oscar Park (T Doyle) 14-1
2 Material World (C Bolger) 14-1
3 Adamant Approach (Mr P W Mullins) 16-1
4 Mistanoora (Tony Evans) 33-1