THE wait for the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival seems an almost interminable one. After months of speculation and theorising it promises to provide a host of definitive answers and this year was no different.

Annie Power’s long awaited Champion Hurdle bid, Min’s quest to justify long term favouritism for the Supreme Novices and Douvan’s second appearance at the meeting were among the day’s foremost topics.

They formed part of Willie Mullins’ bid to repeat last year’s unprecedented opening day four timer. As it happened the all conquering trainer had to settle for a treble this time but this was a day from which he surely derived tremendous satisfaction as Annie Power exorcised the ghosts of last year’s final flight exit with a stellar effort.

The mare’s preparation for championship honours was both unusual and unorthodox as a three runner conditions race at Punchestown wouldn’t quite replicate the white hot competition of a Champion Hurdle. However, Annie Power showed just why she has long been mentioned in the same breath as Dawn Run.

Ironically, it required an injury to Faugheen for Annie Power to get a starting berth in Tuesday’s feature but it would be a disservice to this mare for her to be labelled a mere able deputy. Furthermore the travesty that was last year’s final flight exit has been banished to the deep and distant past.

Earlier Douvan did what he has done ever since he arrived in the Mullins yard. He produced a clinical, classy and decisive effort to become the shortest price Arkle Chase winner in history. He truly is one of limitless potential so it is perhaps appropriate that he is treading in the footsteps of one of the immortals as he is the first since Flyingbolt to win the Supreme and Arkle in consecutive seasons.

There was a time when one of the foremost queries on everyone’s lips was what Willie Mullins had for the Bumper but perhaps now it should be what does he have for the Mares Hurdle. The first running of this race in 2008 passed by without a Mullins runner but he has won it every year since and this time the honour fell to the ultra versatile Vroum Vroum Mag. Another French import who has gone unbeaten since joining Mullins, it is hard to know where the summit of her abilities lie.

Derek O’Connor once again showcased his talents with a superbly executed ride on Minella Rocco, while another rider to shine was Northern Irish-jockey Brian Hughes on Ballyalton. Meanwhile high class hurdler Un Temps Pour Tout showed just why he has been a long term handicap chase fancy for many with his triumph in the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Elsewhere Min mightn’t have been able to justify favouritism in the opener but still ran with credit and honour against Altior who bridged a scarcely credible 24 year drought in this race for Nicky Henderson. Remarkably, winning rider Nico de Boinville was just two years of age when the trainer last won the race with Flown back in 1992.

Fresh from that success Henderson was understandably looking to future with Altior and he perhaps encapsulated the sentiments of all present when saying: ‘I’d like to think that we’ll be back here next year. We only have 365 days to wait’.