Ruby Walsh felt Vautour "defied all logic" by winning at the Cheltenham Festival.
Despite concerns about his well-being in the build-up to the big meeting, trainer Willie Mullins and owner Rich Ricci opted to reroute the seven-year-old from the Gold Cup to the Ryanair Chase.
It was a switch that reaped extraordinary dividends as he bolted up by six lengths.
Walsh told the Irish Examiner: "In my eyes, Vautour defied all logic when winning the Ryanair Chase.
"As far as I'm concerned, he should have been at home in his stable but for him to go out there and win the way he did is just further testament to the mastery of Willie Mullins."
Walsh secured seven winners at the Festival in what he described as "an unbelievable week".
He added: "It's not very often so little goes wrong and so much goes right, so we have to make the most of it when it happens like this.
"If you had offered me this before the Festival had started, I would have taken your hand off."
The star jockey felt the one blot on the landscape was the eclipse of Un De Sceaux to Sprinter Sacre in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
He said: "He may have been a little bit below par, which was unfortunate, but it was a brilliant training performance by Nicky Henderson to get Sprinter Sacre back well enough to win this race for a second time.
"There'll be other days for Un De Sceaux."
Walsh could not put the seal on another memorable Festival by winning the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup but was nonetheless proud of Djakadam, who finished runner-up for a second time.
He said: "I couldn't fault Djakadam's effort in the Gold Cup as he jumped well, travelled well, ran as good a race as he did last year - but just found one too good again.
"The more the track dried during the week the more it was going to suit Don Cossack and Cue Card more than Djakadam and Don Poli - and that's how it worked out."
