Joyeuse soared to victory at Newbury to keep the William Hill Hurdle trophy in the yard of Nicky Henderson.
The grey is from the family of Epatante and like that mare is owned by JP McManus, for whom Henderson and Nico de Boinville combined to win this race last season with Iberico Lord.
That horse was part of the line-up once again but De Boinville opted to ride Joyeuse and she went off a 9-2 chance under a favourable weight.
She thrived in a fast-paced race on soft ground, bursting clear in the final stages and crossing the line at a canter when eight lengths ahead of Sam Thomas’ Lump Sum.
Joyeuse was cut to 8-1 by bookmakers for the County Hurdle but the mare is not currently qualified to run in a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival.
“She’s good and she looked really good there, she travelled well, jumped well and did everything right,” said Henderson.
“She’s bolted up really and you have to say she was in the perfect position the whole way. It was just perfection and everywhere you looked it all seemed very straightforward.
“The step back in trip has suited her well and this was a true-run two miles and I think a bit of cut in the ground has helped as well.
“She can’t go to a Cheltenham Festival handicap as she needs another run to get in and I’m hardly going to run her again between now and Cheltenham. She’s only had four runs over hurdles and she needs another to run in a handicap.
“It’s caused a dilemma but it’s a good problem.”
Henderson won the race for a seventh time and the trainer was delighted to once again claim the richly-endowed prize at his local track.
He added: “It’s a great race and a local race and one has followed it for all those years. It’s changed names a few times but well done to William Hill for coming in and sponsoring it – it means a lot to everybody.
“She’s a good mare and all my winners have been good and come here under different guises. She was pretty inexperienced but she was good. That’s only the fourth hurdle race of her life.”
De Boinville was impressed with Joyeuse but described as “madness” the fact Joyeuse could not go to a Cheltenham handicap at present.
He said: “She went through the race really easy and jumped great. It was very straightforward.
“It’s madness she can’t go to Cheltenham. I’d say it’s pretty much bonkers that you can win a handicap like that but can’t run at Cheltenham, there’s more money here than Cheltenham.”
