Cooldine took the RSA Chase in a style suggesting a worthy successor to Willie Mullins and Violet O'Leary's magnificent Florida Pearl may have been found.
In 1998 Florida Pearl carried O'Leary's red and white silks away with this race before winning four Irish Hennessy Gold Cups and a bundle of other major prizes.
The Gold Cup always proved elusive for him but the ultimate chasing prize will be on Cooldine's agenda now as he powered 16 lengths clear in the season's top staying event for novices.
With Mullins and Ruby Walsh already successful in the Ballymore through Mikael D'Haguenet, and Cooldine the subject of favourable mentions from horse and jockey since his defeat of Arkle winner Forpadydeplasterer at Leopardstown last time, punters kept him on side to send him off the 9-4 favourite.
Mullins had a last-minute problem with one of Cooldine's shoes but there was barely a moment's worry in the race.
Walsh stuck close to the freewheeling Carruthers almost all the way until he reached the penultimate fence, where he set his mount free.
The only one in the field who stepped up for a battle from there came in the unexpected shape of 66-1 shot Horner Woods, but he too was a forlorn hope by the last.
"About an hour and a half before the race my head girl Ali called me to say the horse was lame and only standing on three legs," said Mullins.
"I had the farrier Richard have a look at him and it transpired one shoe was too tight and a nail was pressing on him.
"We managed to glue a new shoe on and added some Polyfilla. We then put some ice on him for an hour. Richard was fantastic - I owe him a drink tonight.
"Ruby said he was slightly feeling himself on the concrete but was fine when he got on the track."
Reflecting on the race itself, Mullins continued: "I thought (Cooldine) was my best punt today and I couldn't believe how easily Mikael D'Haguenet won earlier.
"He jumped fantastic, from fence to fence. He made one mistake when we were schooling him at Leopardstown last Sunday but Ruby blamed himself for that.
"What I loved about him that day was that he found a another leg and coming to Cheltenham for the RSA Chase you are nearly always going to make a mistake and you need to find another leg.
"He is out-and-out stamina. A battle is what he loves."
Mullins was asked about challenging for next year's Gold Cup, for which sponsors totesport offer 10-1.
"I think so, yes," said the County Carlow trainer. "We will probably come back to Punchestown first and we'll see what we do then."
O'Leary's husband and former Irish Rugby international Archie said: "He looks a good horse in the making.
"My heart hasn't stopped yet. It was very exciting. He ran according to plan."
The all-conquering Walsh was similarly smitten, adding: "I have always loved this horse. He has a heart as big as a lion and he jumped like a stag. He's a hell of a good horse."
Horner Woods was pleasant compensation for trainer Jessica Harrington, given he was balloted out of Thursday's Jewson Handicap.
"That was very nice because it certainly wasn't expected," she said.
"He'd been launching himself at his fences and not listening and Robbie Power (jockey) suggested that we use a plastic two-ring snaffle, which has done the trick.
"It's a pity about the Jewson as I thought he was a near-certainty in that."
Former Ballymore winner Massini's Maguire made one or two errors but rallied to pass Carruthers on the run to the line for a distant third spot.
Trainer Philip Hobbs said: "This has told me that he gets three miles fine.
"Now that we've got that out of the way, we'll probably head to Aintree. I do like my horse, but the winner has hacked up."
Trainer Mark Bradstock was pleased with Carruthers although he felt a terrible mistake at the third last had been costly but the most disappointed competitor in the race will have been Sam Thomas.
Given the ride on the Sir Alex Ferguson part-owned What A Friend when Walsh deserted him, his mount rarely travelled with fluency.
Thomas lost fifth spot to Casey Jones by a neck and was banned for two days (March 25 and 26) for not riding out to the line.
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