Summerville Boy (9-1) closed from sixth in the final quarter-mile to score an upset win in Tuesday's Grade 1 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the first race on the four-day National Hunt festival at Cheltenham.

Riden by Noel Fehily, Summerville Boy tok the lead in the final six strides to catch 5-1 Kalashnikov, who looked like a winner at the last of eight hurdles. Mengli Khan finished third.

Fehily, winning his sixth career race at the Cheltenham festival, said Summerville Boy was not the must fluent of jumpers.

"He lost his back end at the second-last," he said. "He was clumsy at the last."

Getabird, the 7-4 favorite, was in contention until the final three furlongs of the two-mile race but faded to finish outside of the first three.

Summerville Boy, a 6-year-old gelding by Sandmason, has won 3 of 6 starts for trainer Tom George.