Jango Baie came from the clouds to give Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville victory in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.

The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old had been set to step up in trip to contest the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase later in the week, but when stablemate and ante-post Arkle favourite Sir Gino was ruled out due to an injection in his leg, Jango Baie was asked to play super sub.

It is clear now why connections had been keen to step up to three miles with Jango Baie, who needed every single inch of the minimum distance when coming from out of the clouds to end the four-time accumulator that had been labelled as "the bloodbath" by bookmakers on course.

Nico de Boinville looked to have his work cut out as he had just Touch Me Not behind turning for home and even on the approach to the second last, Henderson's charge had five or six lengths to find on favourite Majborough.

However, a desperate mistake from Willie Mullins' Irish Arkle winner soon put him on the back foot and the complexion of the race turned on its head, with both L'Eau Du Sud and Only By Night ready to capitalise. The Dan Skelton-trained L'Eau Du Sud held a length advantage over Only By Night jumping the final flight and it looked as though the pair were set to battle it out up the Cheltenham hill.

Whilst Majborough bravely rallied up the inside in an attempt to put himself back in the picture, Nico de Boinville was hard at work on Jango Baie, who still had plenty of distance to make deep inside the final furlong.

It still looked to concern the trio in front with 50 yards to travel, but De Boinville wasn't in any mood to give up the ghost on Jango Baie and with a final last thrust, they burst between rivals to defy in-running odds of 300/1.

"We have said the whole way through that this is not a two-mile horse. If the Turners had been here like last year, then I suspect I know what we would have been in, and I suspect Ballyburn might have come into that as well," said Henderson.

"He wants two and a half miles. We thought we were going to make the running, but he had no chance because he couldn't go fast enough, it was as simple as that. He was flat to the boards the whole way.

"We didn't think there was anything wrong with him, he just couldn't go any faster. You do know the fact here that if they are going hard that hill will always come into play.

"It looked as if he flew the last and landed absolutely full of running and all of a sudden, the gap was going down rapidly.

"I didn't know he could go that fast, I must admit.

"From where I was it looked like it was going to be too late, but it was an incredible pace he was nailing them with.

"It was a brilliant ride as he had to sit and suffer. He couldn't chase him because he couldn't go any faster and I think he knew that."

Henderson admitted a great sense of relief at getting one on the board on the opening day of the festival and was quick to state that Jango Baie's career over two miles would be short lived.

"You always say on the first day if you get one on the board it is a relief. It was great with those Supreme horses like Altior, Shishkin. If you win the first race, it makes a big difference to the week.

"It is nice to be back after last year when we had to sweat it out. It is nice to be back again, and we have a lot to look forward to.

"I don't know if we will see him out again this season, but if we do it won't be over two miles."

Victory marked a 50th success at the top-level for jockey Nico de Boinville, who added: "I did think I could get there as when I was coming down the hill I was thinking about Barry (Geraghty) when he rode Champ. He did a similar kind of thing. He dropped himself out as I couldn't go the gallop.

"I knew he was going to stay, and it was just a case of filling him up where I could and see if I could get one crack up the hill. He has winged the last and he has flown up the hill.

"I suppose you could say I did a Gavin Sheehan, and he would love that I'd say.

"It is great when you know you are going to get there. It is gut-wrenching if you come second or are beaten by a head, which happens a lot, but today the stars were aligned, and he found his head in front."

Jango Baie's stablemate Sir Gino might be stood at home recovering from a serious hind leg infection, but that didn't stop bookmakers Paddy Power from cutting him to 3/1 (from 5s) for the 2026 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Of third home Majborough, Willie Mullins commented: "Even though our horse was beaten and didn't jump well, I thought it was an extraordinary race to watch, and I'm delighted for Nico and delighted for Nicky.

"It was a fantastic ride from Nico on the winner, our fellow just didn't jump and that's not like him, so it's disappointing.

"To make the mistake he made at the second-last and still finish third, that shows what sort of engine he has.

"We had no worries about his jumping at all and I'm surprised that he did that, but that's what can happen in the heat of battle.

"He looks like a Gold Cup type of a horse, I know he has the engine to do it, we've just got to get his jumping right and stay sound."