DODGING BULLETS fired a fatal shot in the betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – as two former winners failed to land a telling blow.

Trainer Paul Nicholls claimed his fifth victory in the contest after the 9-2 chance stubbornly held off the veteran Somersby by a length and a quarter.

But Sire De Grugy, the winner 12 months ago, was off the bridle before the third last and could only finish fourth while Sprinter Sacre, who wowed the Prestbury Park masses when destroying the field by 19 lengths in 2013, was pulled up by jockey Barry Geraghty.

He was backed in to 9-4 favourite by the start but was never involved.

Nicholls, who has claimed top honours in the past with the likes of Azertyuiop and Master Minded, said: “I know the other two were past champions but I couldn’t see why they were behind us in the betting. It must have been on sentiment.

“Dodging Bullets was the progressive young horse and it’s them that usually come out on top. It’s great for the whole team to win the Champion Chase again – I really love this race.”

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Sprinter Sacre, said: “Things have been going so well with him since Christmas and we have been very happy with him.

“He will be scoped now and I suspect something will come to light in that department. It is not his heart.”

He added: “No predictions can be made today about what his future will be. He has been a great horse and if it is wrong to go on I am sure we won’t do that.

“But if we can find a switch to get rid of whatever is wrong with him, then who knows?”

Dodging Bullets was part of a thrilling treble for champion trainer Nicholls, who also scooped the Coral Cup with newcomer Aux Ptits Soins (9-1) and the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle with Qualando (25-1).

Don Poli stormed up the hill to win the RSA Chase.

The 13-8 favourite, trained by Willie Mullins, was backed like he couldn’t lose and, after soaring into the lead with a magnificent jump four out, never looked like he would.

Bryan Cooper’s mount wasn’t the smoothest of travellers in the early stages of the three mile contest as Kings Palace and Southfield Theatre tried to take it to him.

But when they both stumbled slightly at the water jump, Don Poli needed no further invitation and powered up the run-in to trounce Southfield Theatre by six lengths.

Mullins said: “It was a terrific performance by Don Poli. He idled a lot of the way when he got to the front and he realised he was in a race.

“Bryan was worried about getting to the front too soon in the parade ring before the race and I thought ‘if you can get to the front around Cheltenham, you hold on. This fellow will have a lot of reserves in the locker.

“He will fight off anything that comes at him.”

Cooper was celebrating exactly a year after suffering a badly broken leg when falling on Clarcam in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and he added: “I’m glad to put that behind me and it’s sweet to get a winner on the board.

“He stays so well and might have won the four-miler if he’d run in that, but he’s as lovely horse and going the right way. It’s only his third race over fences so he’s a horse to look forward to next season.”