Harry Whittington registered his first ever winner at the Cheltenham Festival with the victory of the well-supported 100/30 favourite Simply The Betts in the Grade 3 Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate on Thursday.

Ridden by Gavin Sheehan, the seven-year-old son of Arcadio made a mistake at the final fence, but rallied gamely under pressure to forge clear in the closing stages to record a length and a quarter success over the Kerry Lee-trained Happy Diva (20/1).

Whittington, along with owners Kate and Andrew Brooks, had narrowly been denied in the Ryanair Chase earlier on the card, with Saint Calvados suffering a neck reversal to Min.

The winning trainer said: "It's about everyone else. Andrew, Kate and George Brooks love the game and put so much into it. I am so thrilled for them. We have had five goes this week and inched closer, closer and closer and got there, so it's fantastic for all of his team as well.

"All my team have given everything this winter and Laura Collett has done an amazing job with this horse's jumping. It's a great team effort, with so many people involved, and I am so proud of everyone."

SHEEHAN DELIGHT

Gavin Sheehan said: ""He was class and was actually waiting for a bit of company all the way. He jumped unbelievably and pulled it out of the bag after the last. I was praying for the line and I know my grandfather was looking down on me as well.

"The fear from jumping the last upsides and then you get a head in front - it's that fear that you have of something coming and nailing you. That's the fear you have but, as soon as you pass the line, it's just what dreams are made of."

Happy Diva was an honourable second. The nine-year-old mare is trained by Kerry Lee, who said: "Her head was in front at the last, but the dead ground and the extra couple of yards didn't quite suit her. She's run a fantastic race; I'm very, very proud of her. She's an absolute superstar. Look at her now, she thinks the cheers are for her. She's a joy to have and we are very, very lucky. Mr Roseff [Will Roseff, Happy Diva's owner] is here enjoying the day, and she's taken us so many places. She's a horse in a million."

FULL CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL COVERAGE IN THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND