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Fota Island (7-1) became the ninth Irish-trained winner of Cheltenham 2005 when coming home in the hands of Paul Carberry in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase.

The only real problem facing Fota Island over the last two fences was a loose horse that nearly took him out.

Carberry managed to steer the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old into the clear, and he galloped on strongly up the hill to keep Bambi De L'Orme at bay by five lengths.

Nicky Henderson was out of luck in his bid to win the race named after his late father, but at least he was in the unsaddling enclosure as he was responsible for the third and fourth home, Caracciola and Tysou.

There was a sad postscript to the race with the news that the Paul Nicholls-trained Great Travel, the mount of Tony McCoy, suffered a fatal fall at the first fence.

"It was a disaster on Tuesday with War Of Attrition in the Arkle."

"I sat behind him just in case he ran out at the last, but I got out of his way anyway."