Rock On Ruby completes Cheltenham set for Nicholls

But Nicholls, whose Festival build-up was overshadowed by a virus at his yard and an injury scare to Gold Cup contender Kauto Star, admitted that he actually had very little to do with the day-to-day training of hurdling’s new No 1.

The horse is stabled 25 miles away from Nicholls’s Somerset base at a satellite yard in Seaborough, Dorset, under the watchful eye of the trainer’s mentor Richard Barber, a point-to-point maestro, and his former assistant, 25-year-old Harry Fry.

“This is a big team effort and the godfather of all this is Richard Barber,” said Nicholls after his horse defeated the frontrunning pacesetter and reigning champion Hurricane Fly.

“He’s the one who got me my job with (landlord) Paul Barber and he and Harry have done a fantastic job with the horse.

“I get there when I can, but I don’t need to as I can just let them get on with it. Harry was my assistant for five or six years and he was thinking of leaving and I said it would be good for him to go and work with Richard. He’ll have a big future.

“I’ve been worried about a few of my horses, with the coughing we had, but Seaborough has been flying.”

That view was echoed by winning jockey Noel Fehily who has missed the last two Festivals with injury and who only had the ride because Ruby Walsh had understandably stayed loyal to Hurricane Fly.

“The Champion Hurdle is a race you want to win, but you never think it will happen,” said 37-year-old Fehily. “I hoped Ruby wasn’t stalking me, but I gave him a good kick and I knew it would take a good one to pass him.”

Neither Walsh nor Hurricane Fly’s trainer Willie Mullins could find any specific reason as to why the odds-on favourite was beaten by almost six lengths.

That said, they did score an expected success when Quevega won a record fourth Mares’ Hurdle on a day that will be remembered for Barry Geraghty’s electrifying Arkle win on Sprinter Sacre, just three months after chasing’s new superstar won his debut over fences at Doncaster.

The win saw trainer Nicky Henderson equal the legendary Fulke Walwyn’s record of 40 Festival wins. “We called him the long dark aeroplane beforehand and he did fly,” he said.

“He’s got so much speed and scope, he’s just a dreadful show-off. That was really worth watching.”

The best celebrations came after handicap chaser Hunt Ball won the last. This rags-to-riches horse is owned by West country dairy farmer Anthony Knott who was fined earlier in the season after climbing on the horse’s back following a win at Wincanton.

As then, the horse was ridden by Nick Scholfield, who was securing a first Festival win. Enthusiastic Knott said: “I told you all along, this is still the wrong race – we could have took the Gold Cup out.”

However, the race was marred by a fatal injury to Educated Evans on the run-in, one of three equine casualties after both Garde Champetre and Scotsirish had to be put down after sustaining injuries on the Cross Country course which had not been watered in advance of the meeting.

Festival round-up: Page 21.