Yorkhill got favourite backers off to a perfect start on Thursday when landing the JLT Novices' Chase.
Yorkhill silenced the doubters to open Willie Mullins’ 2017 Cheltenham Festival account when justifying favouritism in the day three curtain raiser.
Ruby Walsh was given an armchair ride on the Graham Wylie-owned 7yo but, having hit the front after the last, the winning-most Cheltenham Festival rider was forced to get serious as Top Notch closed in up the hill.
Yorkhill may have been idling in front but he found enough in the closing stages to maintain his unbeaten record at Prestbury Park, having won last year’s Neptune Investment Management Hurdle.
Yorkhill's success completed a hat-trick in the race for the trainer and jockey who combined to win the Grade 1 with Vautour in 2015 and Black Hercules 12 months ago.
A relieved Willie Mullins said: "To get on the board is huge. To get on the board in a Grade One is better. It's good for Ruby and the whole team. We've had a hard few days, but that's the way it is and we take what we can get.
"He was good, I'm wondering if he idled in front, as I thought he might go away. For a moment it looked like he might be coming back to them, but he held on.
"Ruby was great, he's not the easiest of rides and after the last few days I was wondering if he was too far behind, but you can't give him his head because if he passes one horse he wants to be in front, so he had to sit and suffer and wait for the gap.
"I've no doubt he's a Champion Hurdle horse and Ruby has no doubt he's a Gold Cup horse! Ruby thought he was a lot more settled this year than in the Neptune, so we'll maybe go down the Gold Cup route.
"It took Ruby a long time to pull him up which is a good sign in any horse. We're on the board now, so it's a big relief."
Top Notch showed real guts to come home strongly having lost momentum with a mistake at the second last, with the well-backed Disko trailing the pait back in third.
