Tiger pops up at 33s in Fred Winter

Nick Williams gained his first Cheltenham Festival winner as Flying Tiger ran out a 33-1 victor in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle.

The well-fancied Divin Bere moved smoothly towards the front end rounding the home turn before being joined by Nietzsche at the final flight.

However, it was Flying Tiger who finished best, getting up to beat Divin Bere and provide Richard Johnson with his first winner of this year's Festival.

Nietzsche was third ahead of Project Bluebook in fourth.

Johnson said: "It's fantastic. Lizzie Kelly was riding another horse (Diable De Sivola, fifth) but has done a lot of work to get him settled.

"He's always been talented in France but he got it right on the day.

"I'm slightly speechless."

Williams said of his pair: "I thought they both had good chances and it was very hard for Lizzie to make a choice. I left it totally up to her and her horse came with a chance at the last, but just flattened out.

"Flying Tiger is a more speedy type and it's great to get my first Festival winner.

"It's been a long time coming, we've had some near-misses, but I had a feeling it could be with a juvenile as we can do quite well with them."