Thisthatandtother (left) comes to challenge (Getty).

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There was a thrilling outcome to the inaugural running of the Daily Telegraph Festival Trophy at Cheltenham on Thursday as Thisthatandtother just got the better of Fondmort after a battle royal up the final hill.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Thisthatandtother was recording a richly-deserved first success of the season, having finished runner-up in three hot handicaps on his previous starts of the campaign.

He came good here under a masterful ride from Ruby Walsh, who always had the 9-2 shot in touch with the leaders.

Fondmort jumped his way to the front at the eighth fence in the two-mile-five-furlong test, with Thisthatandtother close up.

Mick Fitzgerald then went for home two fences out, but Walsh had the move covered, and Irish challenger Rathgar Beau took closer order, too.

The race was between the trio at the last, where Fondmort still had the call, but Rathgar Beau made a mistake and there were just two left to fight out the finish on the climb to the line.

With both jockeys riding at their best it was always going to be close, but it was Thisthatandtother who found the required extra to nose half a length ahead of Fondmort at the line.

Rathgar Beau's challenge flattened out after the blunder and he was a further two and a half lengths back in third.

The victory was a timely boost for Nicholls, whose stable star Azertyuiop suffered a heavy defeat in the Queen Mother Champion Chase 24 hours earlier.

"Thisthatandtother stays and galloped all the way up the hill. He really wants three miles, so he was always going to get the trip," said Nicholls.

"You always say if you get one winner at the Festival you are delighted.

"Azertyuiop was a big disappointment yesterday but he'll be back another day and this horse deserved to win a good race.

"In the Paddy Power I thought he was unlucky. We rode him too negatively because we thought he wouldn't get the trip and actually he'll get three, and he could end up in the King George next season. So we rode him a lot more positively today.

"Second to Well Chief over two miles last time was no good to him, and this has always been the race for him.

"At Aintree he'll run over two-four. He's a frsh horse really and he'll have to go to Aintree."

Walsh added: "That was marvellous. I gave him a terrible ride in the Paddy Power to finish second to Celestial Gold.

"He was owed a race like this and it's great that he got it."

The runner-up's trainer Nicky Henderson said: "That was Fondmort enjoying himself at his best. You would have to say neither horse deserved to get beat, they were both very brave and it was a great race.

"It was the first time we have let him bowl along - you must not disappoint him - and he has loved it.

"You would have to think about the Grand National, but I will have to speak to his owners.

"It is an old saying, but for the National you need a two-and-a-half-mile horse but one with class, and he has class and he jumps.

"We will have to think about it, although there are other good races about."

Trainer Dusty Sheehy said of third-placed Rathgar Beau: "You couldn't be certain where he would have finished if he hadn't made that mistake at the last, but he certainly wouldn't have been beaten far.

"I'm still delighted though. We'll go to Punchestown, possibly stopping off at Aintree on the way."

Our Vic, the heavily-backed 7-4 favourite, proved to be a major disappointment and after making a costly blunder four from home he dropped out of contention and was eventually pulled up.