ROKSANA emerged victorious in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham after red-hot favourite Benie Des Dieux crashed out at the final flight.

Trainer Willie Mullins had claimed this prize nine times in the 11 previous years it had been run, with the remarkable six-time winner Quevega joined on the roll of honour by Glens Melody, Vroum Vroum Mag and Benie Des Dieux.

Having already won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Klassical Dream and the Arkle Trophy with Duc Des Genievres, Mullins looked to have outstanding claims of completing an opening-day treble, with Benie Des Dieux the 10/11 favourite to successfully defend her crown.

Everything went according to script for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey, with Benie Des Dieux always travelling strongly while her stablemate Stormy Ireland cut out the running.

Ruby Walsh eased Benie Des Dieux to the front before the home turn and she was well in command when she crashed through the final hurdle and came to grief, an almost carbon copy of the fall suffered by Annie Power for the same connections in this race four years ago.

Her exit saw the Dan Skelton-trained and Harry Skelton-ridden Roksana left in front and she managed to hold the rallying Stormy Ireland at bay by two and a quarter lengths.

Another Mullins runner, Good Thyne Tara, was third.

Winning jockey Skelton said: "Obviously I am the beneficiary of what happened - that's jump racing. You are never home until you jump the last and luck has been on our side today. I hope Ruby and Benie Des Dieux are up okay. It is our first Grade 1 winner and she is a good mare in her own right.

Dan Skelton said: "It's been a great team effort. Sarah Faulks, who owns her, is an owner-breeder and the mare will have a home for life. We hope we get plenty of her foals and that they come back here. Sarah's a real stalwart of National Hunt breeding. It's an amazing feeling.

"I've got a lot of respect for Ruby [Walsh, who rode Benie Des Dieux] and he taught me so much when I was assistant trainer to Paul Nicholls. He'll get up, dust himself off and go again for the rest of the week. That's racing. But we'd have got a lot of credit if we'd finished second in that race - it took a real hard mare. She wandered off across the track when she got left in front after Benie Des Dieux's fall, but Harry was super on her the whole way. She had to be nimble."

RICCI'S 'DIFFICULT WEEK'

Benie Des Dieux and Ruby Walsh were reported to be fine after their fall at the last. The mare's owner Rich Ricci, who has had plenty of unfavourable press following last week's closure of bookmaker BetBright, of which he was chairman, said: "It has been a very difficult week, but the horse is great and Ruby is fine, which is the most important thing.

"I don't want the trolls to attack Ruby. He is the best jockey in the world and it happens. I just hope he is protected from the same nonsense he got the last day.

"Benie Des Dieux was going very well and she is a very good mare. We will mind her, bring her back and she will win again, but I am just so sorry and it's just difficult.

"Her getting up is the most important thing and that's what we have to remember. This game is tough and I take a lot and I'm tough. The fact that she got up should make everybody happy.

"I am sorry for people who punted her and I know that I will get stick for that as well, but it just doesn't matter - if she's up, that's fine. It's just heart-breaking, but she's up and that's the most important thing. It could be worse. I just watched the replay. It's tough and I don't know what to say. It has been a difficult week."

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