Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill got the British off to the perfect start with storming 22-length victory in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the opener to the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
Henderson won this race with his two-mile chasing star Shishkin - who bids for more Cheltenham glory in Wednesday's Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2020 and before that with Alitior.
And Constitution Hill looks to be cut from the same cloth although unlike those two he may stay hurdling next year and have a crack at the Unibet Champion Hurdle for which he is as low as 2-1 favourite already.
The five-year-old, owned by Michael Buckley, had impressed in his two starts – and two wins – over hurdles, including when landing the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January. Those were small fields and Cheltenham is a much different.
But Constitution Hill triumph to show what Henderson thought of him, that he is a supremely talented horse.
Sent off the 9-4 joint favourite, under Nico De Boinville, he sat in third spot behind the free and front-running Dysart Dynamo from the Willie Mullins' stable and stable-mate Jonbon - all three of whom had been unbeaten coming into the race.
But when Mullins' 9-4 joint-favourite Dysart Dynamo took a crashing fall at the third-last flight, Constitution Hill cruised into the lead.
He quickly put daylight between himself and Jonbon and flew up the Cheltenham hill to score by 22 lengths from his stablemate. Mullins' other runner Kilcruit was a further two-and-a-half lengths back in third.
A delighted De Boinville said: "I knew it was going to be fast and furious and in fairness he did it like a piece of work. I was so happy going to the last. He could be anything, I'm sure he'd jump a fence as well. He's got so much scope.
"I didn't really have a choice (to go for home when he did), he was travelling so well. They've gone a really hard gallop and he's just picked the bridle up. I'm delighted for his owner Michael Buckley, he'll be ecstatic.
"What a way to start the week, what a legend."
Henderson said Constitution Hill is unlikely to head to Aintree Racecourse to try and double up at the Randox Grand National Festival. But he didn't rule out a trip to Ireland for the Punchestown Festival.
The Seven Barrows handler said: "That was awesome. I know what the second horse is and I would have been very surprised if anything could have done that to Jonbon, so he must be an extraordinary animal.
"The hype horse earlier on in the year was Jonbon, then this fella woke up from his slumbers at home and we suddenly realised that actually he was very good.
"He's been very good but the big question was how much he actually knew, he's run in two hurdle races with four runners in each. To suddenly go out there and go at that gallop, that's the extraordinary thing.
"He can travel so easily at that pace and then pick it up, to find gears at the end of a headlong gallop like that was extraordinary."
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Henderson added: "I just feel sorry for Jonbon! The three of them, with Dysart Dynamo too, had pulled a long way clear when he fell and no one wants to see that.
"This is obviously a very good horse because we know Jonbon is a very good horse so for him (Constitution Hill) to do that to him is remarkable.
"He is extraordinary. Actually today was the first time he woke up in the stables before the race. They felt the atmosphere pre-race.
"I can't believe he's a genuine two-miler. He'd stay two and a half standing on his head, but he does have an enormous turn of foot.
"He's always just racing two gears below everyone else because it's all so easy and then you press a button and it works.
"In some ways he's the perfect horse, but in others he's hard to work as everything is so easy for him. In the last few weeks I've had to get horses to go with him, not Jonbon. It's hard when a horse is that good, but good fun.
"That feels like a relief. That race was everything and now we can look forward to Shishkin."
On plans for his winner, he said: "Someone tried to tell me to run him in the Champion Hurdle this year and I'll get it in the neck for not doing it after a performance like that! We'll see what the future holds.
"I think Aintree comes quick, but he could go to Punchestown."
Gold Cup-winning jockey Barry Geraghty bought Constitution Hill as a store horse before selling him to Henderson.
The feeling of the horse winning was unlike anything he had experienced at Cheltenham before.
Geraghty, who also won the Grand National with Monty's Pass in 2003, said: "You dream as a spectator to be involved, and then you dream of a performance like that, but at the same time you are afraid to dream.
"This is the moment that flashes into your mind, but you try not to let it because you don't want to be disappointed.
"This horse has everything, he's gorgeous in every sense, he just has so much class.
"He had all the right horses behind him, Jonbon ran his race, Kilcruit was there - we thought this lad could be exceptional and it looks like he is."
Patrick Mullins, rider of third home Kilcruit, said: "We've gone a ferocious gallop and my lad was never able to lay up, which I thought he would.
"His jumping was a little bit scrappy. The ground is good and he probably wants a step up in trip.
"It was an exceptional winner. To go that strong a gallop and quicken off it, he's an exceptional horse."
Mullins senior added: "The winner was very impressive.
"I think Kilcruit and Bring On The Night both need an extra half-mile, on that sort of ground anyhow.
"Dysart Dynamo fell too far out (to know what would have happened), but it looked a tired fall, so maybe he had done enough at that stage."
After last year's 23-5 trouncing by the Irish British trainers took the first two races of this year's Festival as Alan King's 5-2 favourite Edwardston grabbed a fine success in the Grade One Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase.
Under Tom Cannon, the eight-year-old made it five wins in a row over fences with an superb victory in the two-mile contest.
Sent off the 5-2 favourite, Edwardstone was always travelling well just off the pace, before he came through to lead and powered up the hill for a four-and-a-quarter-length success from Gabynako (25-1) with Willie Mullins' Blue Lord (4-1) a further three-and-a-half lengths back in third.
It was trainer King a third's success in the two-mile novice championship contest after Voy Por Ustedes in 2006 and My Way De Solzen in 2007.
At the second last Edwardstone collided with the leader Riviere D'etel, but was soon back travelling well and ran out a decisive scorer.
Winning jockey Cannon said: "I had a couple of hairy moments, but other than that I had a dream run round, jumping fence to fence. I'm just delighted, I've got a better relationship with him than I have with any human being, put it that way!
"He wears his heart on his sleeve, he jumps well, goes out and does his thing."
King said: "I was only half-watching when we could easily have been brought down and I wasn't sure if we had at one stage, but the gods were shining on us.
"Thereafter he looked to travel really well and never missed a beat. Full marks to Tom as well - that's his first Cheltenham winner and he's given him a cracking ride.
"Tom is riding out of his skin at the moment. I've been training 22 years and he's only my third stable jockey. He reminds me of Choc (Robert Thornton) as he has the most laid-back attitude. If he's nervous, he doesn't show it.
"We've always trained the good horses this way. I don't think Voy Por Ustedes or My Way De Solzen came here under-raced and his races have been reasonably spaced out.
"As I said the other week, he's just been two or three years in the making. He used to over-race a little bit, but running him in those big handicap hurdles last year was the making of him.
"People have doubted his jumping, but I've never had any worries about it.
"He's always had the potential, but these good horses don't happen overnight.
"It's a relief more than anything. It hasn't really sunk in yet. Thank God it was the second race on the first day!"
On immediate plans, King added: "I've not even thought about it. We'll enjoy today."
Gavin Cromwell, who along with the owners made the decision to supplement Gabynako, despite him initially being entered in the two other novice chases, said: "I suppose it has paid off (supplementing) as that was a fantastic run.
"He travelled well through the race and coming down the hill he was still on the bridle.
"Look, the winner was very good but he's the best of the Irish which is great.
"A fast-run two miles, certainly here with the hill, is fine but he's fine over two and a half as well.
"I suppose we have to think of Punchestown for him now."
Paul Townend, who rode Blue Lord into third position said succinctly: "He just wasn't good enough on the day."
