Thistlecrack makes it look easy

Tizzard relieved to see favourite live up to his billing

The sigh of relief from trainer Colin Tizzard was felt all around Cheltenham as the weight of pressure was lifted in spectacular fashion after Thistlecrack cemented his position at the head of the staying division with a scintillating win in the Ryanair World Hurdle on day three of the festival.

While not having the numbers enjoyed by the likes of Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson, in Thistlecrack the Dorset handler has not only a horse that can compete with the very best of them, but one that is head and shoulders above his contemporaries.

Since taking apart his rivals on his seasonal return in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, the eight-year-old has continued to impress with two subsequent victories in the Long Walk Hurdle and the Cleeve Hurdle.

Once again the even-money favourite barely looked like he needed to get out of second gear to give Tizzard his first taste of victory in the race.

Travelling beautifully throughout for Tom Scudamore, Tizzard’s charge led two out and shrugged aside the brave Alpha Des Obeaux to be crowned the champion three-miler.

Cole Harden made the running but he could not reproduce last year’s heroics as Thistlecrack stormed past.

The even-money-favourite stormed up the hill to pull seven lengths clear. Bobs Worth – winner of the Gold Cup in 2013 – plugged on for third place some 22 lengths away, with Cole Harden fourth.

Tizzard said: “We didn’t expect it to be that easy, it’s the World Hurdle, isn’t it?

“As Tom Scudamore said, it was fantastic. There was a lot of pressure the last two weeks and I felt it.

“Horses like these don’t turn up very often. He was not always easy to train, but he has been a pleasure the last 12 months and he has been really easy.”

Mullins hailed Walsh as “the best jockey I’ve had ride for me” after the rider recorded his 50th career success.

The landmark triumph came on Black Hercules (4-1 co-favourite) in the JLT Novices’ Chase and was followed by two more on V au tour( even-money favourite) in the Ryanair Chase and Limini (8-11 favourite) in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle to take his tally for the week to seven.

Mullins now stands one win off his all-time record of eight for the week, set last year.

Elsewhere, Mall Dini was a popular winner of the Pertemps Final on a day when Irish- trained runners dominated.

Davy Russell did the steering for Pat Kelly and it was swift redemption for the jockey who was dumped at the start of the JLT from Zabana.

Cause Of Causes (9-2) flew home for Gordon Elliott and Jamie Codd in the Kim Muir, while 16-1 chance Empire Of Dirt struck for Colm Murphy and Bryan Cooper in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate.