Kopek Des Bordes (6-4 Favourite) handed The Festival’s most successful trainer Willie Mullins his 104th success at the meeting at jockey Paul Townend his 35th when winning today’s opening Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The five-year-old survived a mistake at the last to take the honours by a length and three quarters from William Munny (8-1).

Willie Mullins – 104 Festival wins
Paul Townend – 35 Festival wins

Willie Mullins said: “It’s wonderful. We sent a good team to try and win it, so I’m delighted we did. He looks to be some sort of a horse; the team of horses I had there, any year I’d say they’d be good enough to try and go close in that race, and they were spread out like Brown’s cows behind the first two.

“I think a faster pace suits his jumping better. He is like a chaser, but should he do that or stay over hurdles? I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll probably have a go over fences at the end of the season and see what he’s like, and if Paul is happy to go chasing with him.

“It’s great that Michael O’Sullivan’s brother Alan is here.

“When they quickened the pace down the back, I thought, are they going too fast? Will they collapse in front? But he didn’t, and William Munny didn’t, and Paul said when he hit the front he was just looking at the stands, looking at the last hurdle, looking everywhere, and made a mess of the last, but then he said he would have galloped all the way up the hill to the Hunter’s Lodge, the hotel at the top, he had that much running in him. Very few horses finish with anything going up that hill - you don’t need to pull them up, they pull themselves up.

“Once Aintree or Punchestown, wherever he goes, is over, we’ll have a look at him and school him over fences. A lot will depend on what Paul thinks when he rides him over fences. I wouldn’t have any worry - he’d be hugely exciting over fences, too. It’s always easier to have Champion Hurdle horses; it’s easier to keep them sound, and if you have one, you’re lucky. But we’re always looking for Gold Cup horses, aren’t we? But is he a Champion Chaser?”

Part-owner Charlie McCarthy had said ahead of the race: “(I am) nervous, naturally! But he's a superb horse, something special. Something I have dreamt about all my life, and my boys did. He’s a decent horse, win, lose or draw, we will celebrate.

“I had my right kidney removed, it was cancerous, on 26 February. But he kept me going through all of it. This is a dream come true.”

Following the race, McCarthy added: “I’m on cloud nine – is there a bigger cloud to be on? I just can’t get over it! Here with my sons, to win at Cheltenham and to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, after everything I’ve been through, is a dream come true, and the dream is not finished yet.”

An emotional Paul Townend said: “Perfect start. Got in a lovely position, good gallop early. I was in front sooner than I wanted to be. A good jump at the second last. I thought Jack would just bring me a little further. He’s relatively inexperienced, he had a look at the stands – even with the hood, he heard the noise. Missed the last, but he picked up again at the back of it. He’s just a very, very good horse.”

Townend was overcome with emotion when asked about Michael O’Sullivan being in his thoughts – and everyone’s thoughts – today.

Asked whether Kopek Des Bordes could go right to the top, he said: “I think he can, because he’s so little racing done, every day is school day with him and he is growing up all the time. People said he ran too keen at Leopardstown, but I wanted to get him to jump – he’s not the finished article yet and hopefully he can keep improving.”

Townend went on to say: “[The horse] was the calmest of us all, I think! When he got here, he settled in really well. He just covers so much ground, you probably don’t realise how quick you’re going on him throughout the race. He has a huge engine. I was hoping Jack would bring me a bit further than he did. We jumped the second last well and landed there – I was there without having to commit him. When I got stuck into him, he galloped out well as well. It was a big performance.

“I could see and feel [William Munney], I knew he would be coming late. When I landed there, I was kind of setting it up for something to close as we had gone a strong gallop. He covers a lot of ground, has huge natural ability and is still immature, green, in everything he does. Hopefully the future is very bright for him.”

Paying tribute to Michael O’Sullivan, Townend said: “He was a big part of our team. He lived locally to me, a Cork man as well, he is in everyone’s thoughts every day. We can just count ourselves very lucky that we did know him for the short that we did – very lucky to have known such an incredible young man.”

Barry Connell, trainer of the second William Munny, said: “This horse has a similar level of ability to Marine Nationale, but Marine is a chilled out dude in that he is very relaxed and he doesn’t pull.

“In fairness to this horse he didn’t get worked up beforehand. He has grown up and he has settled today. I think the last race made a man of him.

“I would say that is one of the best novice hurdles we have had run around Cheltenham in a long time. I think the first two were miles clear of the rest so we were delighted.

“We know that our lad always runs to the line.

“We have only a small stable and the only edge we can do is give them that extra year or two. He didn’t run until he was six and we got him as a store horse at three so he had some maturity for his age.

“When he ran in his bumper last season he wouldn’t have been ready to run a month beforehand, even though he is not a big robust horse. We just wait for them to come to us and when they are ready to go we set them off.

“We will probably now go to Punchestown. We only have a length to find with the winner, but I would say that the winner is a bit special.

“We will either come back here for the Arkle next season or the Champion Hurdle next year, but I would say next season he is more likely to go over fences.

“The whole thing today is very poignant. This whole place is emotional on an ordinary day, but when you have something like this after the tragedy that happened to Michael, who was so closely associated with our yard, it is very raw.

“Sean (Flanagan, jockey) said he thought he had a man pushing him down the hill and that he might get the winner going up the hill, but it wasn’t quite to be, however I couldn’t be happier.”

Sean Flanagan said: “First and foremost it is frustrating to come second. He has done everything really easily and half way down the back I thought we better get a move on here.

“I’ve jumped the second last hard on the bridle and he has picked up. I’ve missed the last, has it cost me the race, probably not. It probably cost me half a length, but the winner has won well. It rode like a classy race.

“If I wasn’t so worried about settling my lad I would have been closer to the winner.”

Trainer Gordon Elliott said of the third Romeo Coolio: “I thought he ran a great race and I’m absolutely delighted with him. He did nothing wrong whatsoever. From the last he galloped all the way to the line and I’m delighted with him.

"Jack (Kennedy) said it was just riding a bit firm and it was getting as good as you would want it.

"I would say he will step up in trip and go over two and a half miles at Aintree.”

Jockey Jack Kennedy said: “It was a very good performance and I was very happy with him. The ground probably dried out a shade too much for him, but I’m delighted with the run.

“I would say he could easily step up to two and a half miles at Aintree.”