Cheltenham Festival: Ferny Hollow gives Willie Mullins a 10th Champion Bumper win

Ferny Hollow came with a rattling late run to deny Willie Mullins stablemate Appreciate It victory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 11/1 shot's win - he was guided home by Paul Townend - was a 10th in the race for Mullins, who has dominated the contest since it was first run in 1992.

It was the first win of the week for Mullins, who had been forced to withdraw one of his stable stars - Chacun Pour Soi - from the Queen Mother Champion Chase after he was found to have a foot abscess on Wednesday morning.

Appreciate It, sent off 15/8 favourite, cruised into the lead off the home turn but was soon challenged by eventual third Queens Brook (6/1) and then Ferny Hollow, a horse formerly very head-strong before tactics were changed to hold him up, as he was in this race.

And it was a potent turn of foot Ferny Hollow found in the final furlong to put clear air between him and his more-fancied stable companion.

Mullins said: "A goal on the stroke of half-time they are calling it here. It is nice get on the board anyhow.

"We just didn't get the bounce of the ball yesterday with one horse taking out another and it looked like we were a shade unlucky in the Mares' Hurdle, but they all ran well.

"Then there was Chacun Pour Soi this morning and though he will be fine in a few days, it was just bad timing. You just keep going and just hope it turns around.

"I thought Patrick had it won just after turning for home, but we could see Paul coming and he won quite easy in the end."