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Big Buck's won his fourth Ladbrokes World Hurdle in great style at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday after a battle with Voler La Vedette up the hill.
Ruby Walsh went to the front just before the home turn with Oscar Whisky, Thousand Stars and Voler La Vedette all seemingly cruising in his slipstream.
However, the first-two mentioned weakened quickly when push came to shove and it was left to the Colm Murphy-trained mare to give the champion a race.
And that she did, as Andrew Lynch was still motionless jumping the final obstacle, yet Big Buck's just kept on finding more as Walsh applied the pressure.
The four-time champion, winning his 16th race in succession, is one of the all-time greats of the sport and he was one-and-three-quarter lengths ahead at the line.
Smad Place ran on well for third and was a further seven lengths back from Voler La Vedette.
Cross Kennon and Five Dream, Big Buck's stablemate, made the running with Big Buck's unusually quite close up from early on.
Mourad forced the pace some way out with Big Buck's moving into second place and Oscar Whisky and Thousand Stars waiting in the wings.
Big Buck's had those under control but then Lynch played his cards late on the Colm Murphy-trained mare Voler La Vedette.
The two horses switched positions on the run to the final flight with Big Buck's moving out to the centre of the course and Voler La Vedette to the nearside rail.
There was still all to play for on the final slog up the punishing hill but Big Buck's had been there so many times before that he was not going to surrender his record, even against such a worthy opponent.
The win was as much a relief as joy for Nicholls, who had seen several of his horses run disappointingly since Rock On Ruby won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday.
Walsh said: "He's an amazing horse. We went a good gallop and sprinted off the bend when he got to the running rail.
"The way Paul's horses had been running they were starting to doubt but boy this lad is good.
"I rode him much handier than last year - they were all speed horses, Thousand Stars, Oscar Whisky, So Young, but the only one that stayed was this lad.
"He's just a great horse and thank God I ride him."
