In the wild winds of Sunday night, Howard Johnson emerged from a stable in his Co Durham yard with hope restored. Leaving an angry horse with a rug hanging off him might not be an obvious cause for confidence but it was in this moment of discord that Johnson began to believe that his pre-Cheltenham nightmare might be over.

For some weeks, the trainer has been candid about the ill-health of some of his massive string. It was no way to approach the biggest meeting of any year but Johnson is a stockman, more at ease with animals than humans, and he knew the mood of his horses would reveal their recovery.

With Tidal Bay, it was a black mood. “I went in to try and put his sheet on, against the wind, but he wouldn't let me near him,” Johnson recalled. “When he comes at me like that, I know he's right, so I left his sheet hanging off and went to bed happy.”

This curious scene had a resounding epilogue in the Arkle Chase yesterday, with Tidal Bay asserting his class to stride away from Kruguyrova and Noland for a 13-length triumph. It was a brilliant performance, giving jockey Denis O'Regan a first Festival winner and vindicating the investment of Johnson's key patron, Graham Wylie.

Having poured a good proportion of the fortune he made from the Sage computer business into his recently acquired hobby, Wylie has rapidly learnt how to cope with its vicissitudes. This, though, was another day of payback, one he will be hoping to consolidate when Inglis Drever attempts a record third World Hurdle win tomorrow.

As usual, Wylie obsessively maintained his superstitions, insisting that his close friend, David Fulton, donned the same pink sweater he wore for his initial Cheltenham success three years ago. “I've been a nightmare all day,” Wylie said, “but it's all been worth it.”

Kruguyrova may reappear in the new mares' hurdle on Friday after a tigerish display in second but Noland, the beaten favourite, will now step up in trip over fences, possibly at Ayr next month. Paul Nicholls, without a winner on the opening day, reflected: “He got outpaced over two miles and I'm kicking myself, because I half expected it.”

It is no longer a novelty for Nina Carberry to ride Festival winners. Yesterday's ten-length victory on Garde Champetre was her third, making her the most successful woman rider in Cheltenham history, as well as being undoubtedly the best. Carberry was following up her wins on Dabiroun in 2005 and Heads Onthe Ground last year to overhaul Gee Armytage's tally of two.

The cross-country chase has become a benefit event for the Irish, who provided the first four home this time. It was hardly the intended target for Garde Champetre, when J.P. McManus paid a public auction record of 530,000 guineas for him, four years ago, but he is flourishing under the care of the wizard of the code, Enda Bolger, and the riding of Carberry.

By contrast, Tom Scudamore was breaking his Cheltenham duck when forcing An Accordion home in the William Hill Chase. After his narrow defeat on Osana, Scudamore's initial emotion was relief but he quickly added: “It feels a lot better than Dad said it would.”

“Dad”, the former champion jockey Peter Scudamore, was cavorting around the paddock with joy, along with the rest of his family. Like Robert Thornton, though, Scudamore went home with mixed feelings after picking up a two-day whip ban for his riding of Osana.

David Pipe, trainer of An Accordion, was widely expected to complete a double in the concluding Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle but Ashkazar, perhaps showing the strain of two races in four days, gave best to Crack Away Jack, a first training winner at Cheltenham for Emma Lavelle.