Jockey Joe Tizzard saluted the chilled-out Cue Card after his red-hot performance in the Ryanair Chase which could prove to be Festival favourite Albertas Run's last race, writes Jonathan Herbert.
Winner of the Champion Bumper in 2010, Cue Card had chased home the brilliant Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle Chase at last year's Festival.
But with no Sprinter Sacre among his rivals, he made virtually all the running to win by nine lengths and give Tizzard's trainer dad Colin their second winner of the meeting.
"I went to post on a long rein and he settled well," said Joe. "With a circuit to go I was able to say,'I'm going to slow this down and go my pace'.
"I was able to keep his lungs up and he's done what I always knew he was capable of. It's fantastic for me and the horse.
"Certain horses thrive off this environment, this atmosphere. He walks around the paddock here with a bit of a swagger and enjoys every moment of it. He was a big baby and now he's filled out and learned to settle."
Colin Tizzard believes Cue Card is better than ever this season and might take on Sprinter Sacre again in the future, although having won over two miles and five furlongs, that clash would almost certainly be over two miles.
"He's been a good horse for four years and we still think he's improving this season," he said. "Joe said he didn't even pull today.
"We decided not to take on the big black horse (Sprinter Sacre) on Wednesday and thank goodness we bypassed it, but we'll have to take him on again sometime."
Luckley trainer Martin Keighley's best horse Champion Court was alongside Cue Card for most of the race but, despite giving it everything, he weakened after the last fence and finished fifth.
There was to be no fairytale return after a near 12-month layoff for Jonjo O'Neill's veteran stable star Albertas Run as he was pulled up by AP McCoy.
Owner Trevor Hemmings said the 12-year-old, whose three Festival wins include two in the Ryanair, wasn't certain to race again.
"We'll take him home and check him over and see if it's anything or nothing with him," he said. "Maybe he'll run at Aintree, maybe he won't. If he does, that will be his last run. If he doesn't, this will have been.
"Today said the horse didn't feel comfortable and although nothing had happened, he didn't want to push him until something did. Whether the horse runs again or not, he owes us absolutely nothing."
