MIGHT Bite defeated stablemate Whisper in the RSA Novices' Chase in one of the most dramatic finishes in recent Cheltenham Festival history.

The former was a mile clear under Nico de Boinville, but a less-than-fluent leap at the last gave Whisper just a squeak.

Whisper then suddenly grew inspired along the run-in, whereas Might Bite - who fell at the final fence at Kempton over Christmas with a Grade 1 prize at his mercy - faltered as he hung badly to his right and was even headed.

De Boinville managed to correct his path with the aid of a loose horse and the Nicky Henderson-trained pair eventually flashed past the post in unison, but Might Bite (7/2 favourite) was announced the winner by a nose.

De Boinville said: "He did exactly the same in his hurdles run around here. Without the loose horse I wouldn't have won. He's a thinker but he's so talented, he jumped for fun - he should have five or 10 lengths.

"It's great for the owners and great for the guv'nor. I kept faith with this horse, I can see why others might not!

"We'll see (if he is a Gold Cup horse), we might have to iron out a few issues, but he's definitely got the ability."

Henderson said: "What to make of it all? It just goes to show why you run two horses in a race. You thought he'd done it all well and then he goes and does that.

Henderson continued: "This place has extraordinary tricks. It looked for all the world that he (Might Bite) had thrown it away. A dead-heat would have been fair to everybody, but it wouldn't have been, really, because Might Bite was the best horse.

"He's only a baby but he's hugely talented. He just grinds it out and keeps going, but then he stops and has an ice cream!

"He's handled the undulations, the place and the crowd, which wasn't guaranteed.

"We must be aware of it (his wayward streak) in the future. He's not naughty, or anything like that, but the future is obviously enormous."

"Davy (Russell, jockey) did everything right on Whisper. He did exactly what he wanted to do - hunt around. You could see him creeping in there but you thought Might Bite had got away."

Whisper's owner, Dai Walters, said: "You go back three years and it was his day when he won the Coral Cup - that was inches and I think there is only a half-inch in this. It was fantastic and I thought he had it!

Willie Mullins said of third-placed Bellshill: "He jumped much better and after his recent performances I was delighted with him. He at least resembled a racehorse, which he hasn't of late. He'll go to Punchestown next."

Nicky Henderson's sister Josephine is one of 10 members of the Knot Again Partnership which owns Might Bite. Others in the group include David Minton, the bloodstock agent who bought Might Bite privately as an unbroken store horse.

Josephine said: "It's terrifying to own this horse, but also really thrilling. On the run-in I thought 'Oh God', but he's done that before when winning a hurdle race here.

"I saw him in his box as a four-year-old and couldn't help but notice his incredibly long legs. That's where he gets his speed from - he really covers the ground."

2.10pm RSA Novices' Chase (Grade 1)

1 MIGHT BITE (The Knot Again Partnership) Nicky Henderson 7-11-04 Nico de Boinville 7/2 Fav

2 Whisper (Walters Plant Hire Ltd) Nicky Henderson 9-11-04 Davy Russell 9/2

3 Belshill (Andrea & Graham Wylie) Willie Mullins IRE 7-11-04 Ruby Walsh 5/1