SPECIAL Tiara (11/1) delivered the finest performance of his career to be crowned a shock winner of the 2017 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with a superb front-running performance in the two-mile chasing championship, the feature race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ridden by Noel Fehily, the 10-year-old son of Kayf Tara led throughout and jumped superbly. Still clear after jumping the last, Henry de Bromhead's charge responded well to Fehily's urgings up the punishing Cheltenham hill and fend off the late challenge of Colin Tizzard's 7/1 chance Fox Norton, who stayed on stoutly to finish just a head behind the winner, in a thrilling finish.

Tom George's Sir Valentino (33/1) was six lengths back in third.

Douvan's winning run came to a shuddering halt.

All eyes were on the Willie Mullins-trained Douvan, the brilliant seven-year-old who had won 14 races on the spin and was sent off the 2/9 favourite.

But after jumping a little too exuberantly in places, he looked in serious trouble two fences from home - and so it proved.

Whereas Douvan retreated, eventually finishing down the field, the front-running Special Tiara (11/1) kept up an honest gallop under Noel Fehily and gamely fended off Fox Norton by a head. Fox Norton was trained by Colin Tizzard, to who owner Alan Potts moved his horses away from Henry De Bromhead earlier this year.

"Noel gave Special Tiara a super ride. The horse is just a legend and I just thought he jumped really quick today over his fences. Noel is an amazing rider and I am absolutely delighted for him.

"I am so pleased for everyone involved. He seemed in great form coming into this - I nearly said to our head lad Davy Roche at home that this fellow seems better than ever and I said: 'No, no, I will stop'.

"Special Tiara seemed in great form but it is hard to believe with Douvan and everything else. For our lad, it's amazing. He just tries his heart out and no horse deserves it more.

"I thought that he jumped the slickest that he has ever jumped. Often, he jumps a bit high but he was so slick today, it's incredible.

"Noel [Fehily] rides him so well - he's won two Grade 1s on him now."

Asked about his expectations coming into the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, de Bromhead answered: "I thought our season was going pretty well when he won the Grade 2 [Desert Orchid Chase] at Kempton, and if we could get placed here today it would have been a fantastic run. It's incredible."

It was second big race win of the week for Fehily, who won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, said: "Unbelievable. He's such a great ride, he's everything a two-mile chaser should be. He's a very good horse.

"I didn't think so (beat Douvan), but I thought I had a great chance of being second. I got over the last and was surprised something hadn't come to me, but I knew he wasn't stopping.

"He has one way of running and that's flat to the mat and jump - I just let him get on with it. I've always loved two-mile chasers, the Champion Chase is the one you want to win. To win it is fantastic."

Sally Rowley-Williams owns the 11/1 winner of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, Special Tiara, trained by Henry de Bromhead in Ireland.

The American former banker, who lived for much of her life in England, said: "He really totally deserves this race.

"It is the first time since he won his Grade 1 at Aintree as a novice that he has had his ground. He has just shown us what he can do on the ground.

"Noel Fehily is a beautiful horseman and there is no one like him in terms of sensitivity - he calmed down Special Tara going to the start - and gave the horse such a lovely ride. I could not be more thankful to him.

"My only fear was coming up the hill, but Special Tiara kept on and it was great. I was shouting hang on, hang on and lots of four-letter words! There we are - I am a very enthusiastic owner.

"I have never lost faith in Special Tiara because I know exactly what he can do and all he needed was this sort of ground.

Tizzard said: "It was a fantastic run. Halfway up the run, we thought we were going to get there but to be fair to the winner he stayed on didn't he and kept going. It was a lovely run and we couldn't wish for anything else."

Fox Norton's rider, Aidan Coleman, said: "I could not be happier with him. He jumped brilliantly and, from the back of the last, I thought we might get there, but fair play to Special Tiara for keeping going. He is a very brave horse and there was nothing else I could do.

"I haven't a negative word to say against my horse or my passage through the race. It would have been nice to win, but I'm happy."

Paddy Brennan was delighted with the run of eight-year-old Sir Valentino (33/1), who was as further six lengths behind Fox Norton in third.

Brennan said: "Unbelievable run and it was a great training performance and I was just thrilled to be a part of it.

Mullins said: "He never did that before, I imagine we will find something physical wrong with him. Ruby was gobsmacked by that. Douvan didn't jump as well as he expected. Usually we would find something wrong when something like this happens.

"When they jump like that they can injure themselves, it is a huge strain they exert upon themselves and he is a big horse. He put in two or three odd jumps and I would say he must have done something. It takes a lot out of a horse to make a mistake like that in a championship race. I think he probably pulled something, maybe a muscle or a ligament.

Ruby Walsh, rider of Douvan, added: "We were beaten a long way out, he didn't jump well. He didn't feel right and he never got going."

3.30pm £365,760 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)

1 SPECIAL TIARA (Sally Rowley-Williams) Henry de Bromhead, Ireland 11st 10lb Noel Fehily 11/1

2 Fox Norton (FR) (Ann & Alan Potts) Colin Tizzard 11st 10lb Aidan Coleman 7/1

3 Sir Valentino (FR) (Doone Hulse Susie Saunders & Lady Cobham) Tom George 11st 10lb Paddy Brennan 33/1

Distances: hd, 6, hd, 1, nk, 4, 17, 13