CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL: It might be better to be lucky rather than rich but as Inglis Drever's emphatic defeat of Barcouda in yesterday's Ladbrokes World Hurdle proved, lucky and rich is best of all.It might be better to be lucky rather than rich but as Inglis Drever's emphatic defeat of Barcouda in yesterday's Ladbrokes World Hurdle proved, lucky and rich is best of all.

Rarely can an owner have made as immediate an impact on the Cheltenham festival as Graham Wylie has. Inglis Derver was his third winner of a rare week that saw Arcalis and No Refuge win the opening races on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Even for a man who has known the high of starting the Sage computer software company and seen it grow into an enterprise that netted hundreds of millions when selling out, this has been pretty remarkable stuff. The Co Durham trainer Howard Johnson and Galway-born jockey Graham Lee shared in both of those triumphs but significantly, they still felt that Inglis Drever was still their outstanding chance of the week.

In any other circumstances that would have been enough for most of us to hop on the bandwagon but the race that for many will always be known as the "Stayers" is also the race that in recent years has become synonymous with Baracouda.

Looking to become the only horse ever to win the race three times, Baracouda carried rampant sentiment and not an insignificant amount of the old hard-earned respect. Even owner JP McManus couldn't let him go unbacked.

"I'd no intention of backing him but I was tempted by the 6 to 4. I couldn't resist it," said the legendary owner. "But we were beaten fair and square. The winner is very good. Mind you, he was the only one to beat us."

It was no harm reminding everyone of that since Baracouda put in a blinding effort in a race that was run at the sort of pace to bring tears to the eyes.

Even Lee had to "give a few tears" to Inglis Drever early on in order for the young horse to keep up with the pace cut out by Knife Edge and Westender. In contrast the old champion travelled beautifully throughout and always had the main Irish hope, Rule Supreme, covered. But as they turned into the long straight, Inglis Drever was in position A to pounce.

"The pace was two-mile pace and still we didn't half come home. But I knew if I could keep on Baracouda's tail he would bring me there," reported Lee who famously described himself as a Cheltenham virgin before the meeting started.

"To beat a great horse like Baracouda is something else though."

There was three lengths in it at the line and Newcastle-born Wylie could do little else except reach for the "dream come true" line. It's less than four years since he bought his first racehorse, and then only because his new wife, Andrea, liked grey horses. Since then he has shelled out millions, but, boy, is he getting a pay-off in thrills. "I'm just the guy who jumps up and down like a yo-yo after the last hurdle," Wylie declared. "It's Howard who does all the work, and Graham was brilliant again."

Johnson (51), looked more than a little stunned by it all. Except maybe he was just tired. Wylie wasn't joking when describing his trainer as a worker.

The owner of 1,000 acres of Durham and 600 cattle, as well as a powerful string of almost 200 horses, the stratospheric leap up the racing ladder that Wylie's millions have provided haven't changed him much.

"I'm a hands on man. When there's calving at night I'm the only one on the spot so I have to do it. My wife says we have no life," he said.

"But a week like this is amazing."

Francois Doumen, one would imagine, doesn't do much calving but he graciously said: "To be second again is no disgrace. As he has got older he doesn't have the turn of foot he had in the past."

Willie Mullins nominated the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown followed by another crack at the French Champion Hurdle as the plan of campaign for Rule Supreme.

"We got £18,000 so we're not sneezing at it," Mullins said. "We have no excuses. Everything happened right. He just wasn't good enough on the day ."

Or, as Inglis Drever proved, he wasn't the luckiest on the day either.

Two more winners today would give Ireland a record return from the Cheltenham festival. Oulart and Another Rum yesterday brought the tally for the three days so far to seven.

The previous best total was the eight winners in 1958 when races were divided.

But already the best modern day total has been equalled. A tally of seven Irish-trained winners, without divisions, was reached in both 1977 and 1996.

In both years an Irish horse won the Gold Cup. Punters will be hoping the same is true today.