Punjabi stormed up the hill at Cheltenham to land the Smurfit Cappa Champion Hurdle in a blanket finish with Celestial Halo and Binocular on a day to remember for Irish jockey Barry Geraghty, who was successful earlier on Forpadydeplasterer.

Geraghty was always well placed on the second circuit but was all out to repel the renewed challenge of Ruby Walsh on Celestial Halo, from the Ditcheat team of Paul Nicholls.

Binocular came late on the scene but not even the magic of Tony McCoy could force the hot favourite past the front two, who were separated by a head, with the first and third both trained by Nicky Henderson.

"Punjabi has always been a very special horse and both of mine were tremendous," said Lambourn-based Henderson.

Henderson landed a hat-trick of Champion Hurdle triumphs in the late 1980s with See You Then, but had to wait 22 years to bridge a winning gap.

"They were sat there together but Celestial Halo wouldn't go away and I would have been happier if it had just been the two," he said.

"The two horses have ran fantastic races, and it was a good race, wasn't it?

"It takes you back. Those great days of See You Then were very special and it's nice to be back with horses that can do this sort of thing.

"I looked at the race on Saturday and thought Punjabi was a ridiculous price and an obvious each-way horse.

"It was a great performance from both horses. Binocular as the younger horse has ran every bit as well."

Nicholls was disappointed not to lift the hurdling crown at the Festival for the first time but felt that Celestial Halo had run a fantastic race and a future chasing career remains on hold.

Irish Eyes were smiling after the opening William Hill.com Supreme Novices' Hurdle but the cheers were muted, with the well-backed Cousin Vinny only fifth behind 12-1 shot Go Native, another raider from the Emerald Isle.

Paul Carberry, hit the front on the seven-year-old, trained by Noel Mead at County Meath and was all out to hold the sustained challenge of Medermit, ridden by Robert Thornton or Alan King's Barbury Castle stable.

It was Carberry's first ride since being side-lined through injury last month and provided a tonic for Mead who is recovering at home from a back operation.

"I thought we had a good chance today after at Naas" said Carberry.

The Nicholls-Walsh combination suffered a set back in the Irish Independent Arkle Chase when the well-backed Tatenen crashed out at the third fence, leaving Forpadydeplasterer to send the huge Irish contingent into raptures with a short head victory. Gerrity was always handy on the seven-year-old, trained at Tralee by Thomas Cooper for the Devon-based Goat Racing Syndicate of Sunderland supporters and carried the red and white colours of the Premiership club.

A marvellous day for the Irish ended in another triumph when Quevega, trained by Willie Mullins, turned the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle into a procession under Ruby Walsh.

The heavily-backed 2-1 favourite scored by 14 lengths from United and Mullins enthused: "I thought this was my best chance of the week. Her form with Hurricane Fly looked very solid, and if he'd been in this he'd have been 4s on. My mare was different class today and will go to Punchestown and then back for a good race in Paris."