Flooring Porter (4-1) grabbed a second successive front-running victory in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, the feature on the third day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained seven-year-old, under Danny Mullins, went straight to the front and dictated the race before landing victory.
Several were going well in behind including 11-4 favourite Klassical Dream and Nicky Henderson's Champ. But they were always playing catch-up with Flooring Porter.
It was left to Emma Lavelle's 2019 Stayers' Hurdle hero Paisley Park (17-2) to come through to try and challenge alongside the Philip Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill (11-2) – who won last season's Liverpool Hurdle at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse – but neither to get near Flooring Porter.
When it came to business end of the Grade One feature he simply galloped on to win a second Stayers' Hurdle and join the likes of recent multiple winners Baracouda (2002-2003), Inglis Drever (2005, 2007-2008) and four-time hero Big Buck's (2009-2012). Thyme Hill was two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length adrift in second just edging out Paisley Park by a nose.
Flooring Porter was the third Irish-trained winner, after Bob Olinger in the opener and Allaho's second success in the Ryanair Chase, in the first four races at Prestbury Park on St Patrick's Day.
And the winner's enclosure was taken over by his celebrating connections, overjoyed to be present after last year's meeting was behind-closed-doors due the coronavirus restrictions in place at the time.
READ MORE: Allaho lands second successive victory in the Ryanair Chase
Winning trainer Cromwell said: "The plan was to make it, but of course he has the issues with the start. We wanted to make the running and he was foot perfect everywhere.
"Danny was fantastic on him, when he jumped the third last he eased off and let him fill up, but to be honest I was worried he might get done for a turn of foot. Danny was cool though and knew what he was doing.
"I wasn't too bad when he was down at the start as I was pretty confident he was going to be OK today, he seems to have matured and he's behaved himself all the time he's been here.
"At Leopardstown (at Christmas) Klassical Dream got a flyer and we didn't and it made the difference, he was beaten just over two lengths. We didn't want the same to happen in this race."
Cromwell hailed Mullins' ride, adding: "Danny is so good on front runners, he has a serious clock in his head.
"He maybe did get an easier lead this year, whether they might not have felt he was as good as he was I don't know.
"His jumping is unbelievable, he jumps more like a champion hurdler, he's so slick, long or short, he gains ground at every hurdle.
"Last year was great but the crowd here is magic. I came here and won the Champion Hurdle with Espoir D'allen but he was an outsider, to win a big race with a fancied horse was brilliant, it all worked out.
"We'll try to get him back here next year."
READ MORE: 92 entries remain in the Grand National after dual winner Tiger Roll taken out
Jockey Mullins praised his trainer on a perfectly-planned victory.
He said: "Everything went to plan. Big credit has to go to Gavin Cromwell, I love the horse but he's quirky. His training is the reason we're back here today again, Gavin's done a fantastic job with this lad all year.
"I wasn't too worried about the preliminaries, the more he gets into the season, the less gas is in his system. Gavin brought him over a few days early, he was a little bubbly one or two mornings but this morning we were very happy with him. He was relaxed and showing a spark again.
"It's funny going into a race at Cheltenham with such confidence in the horse but we believed in him."
Philip Hobbs felt better ground would have helped Thyme Hill, but was nevertheless pleased with his effort.
He said: "He ran really well and stayed on really well.
"A bit better ground might have helped us. I'm not sure where we'll go now. It would be nice to go to Aintree for the race he won last year, but it's only three weeks away so we'll have to see how he is.
"Punchestown is a possibility as well."
Thyme Hill's trainer Hobbs was pleased his run and hopes he will be fit enough to head back to Aintree to try and defend his Liverpool Hurdle crown on April 9.
The Minehead handler said: "He ran really well and stayed on really well.
"A bit better ground might have helped us. I'm not sure where we'll go now. It would be nice to go to Aintree for the race he won last year, but it's only three weeks away so we'll have to see how he is.
"Punchestown is a possibility as well."
On third home Paisley Park, trainer Lavelle added: "He's run fantastic, he really has.
"He was flat out and just galloped. He was still the fastest up the hill, he just couldn't be fast enough through the race.
"I'm just so proud of him. This is the fifth Festival he's run at in a row and for him to continue to run the races that he runs, he's just a very special horse.
"He was closer this year than he was last year to Flooring Porter and was a nose off being second.
"He has the heart of a lion this horse and he loves it – and actually behaved impeccably today.
"Aidan (Coleman) said he needs the soft ground to slow everybody else down a little bit, but he's probably better on the nicer ground when everything happens a bit quick for him.
"Today was arguably a better run than last year, so if he continues in this vein, he'll keep going."
