SHANTOU Flyer gave his new connections an immediate return on their investment by winning the £60,000 Grade 3 BetBright Best For Festival Betting Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Formerly trained in Ireland by Colin Bowe, the seven-year-old was having his first run for Rebecca Curtis and his first since the Galway Plate.

He crept into contention behind Village Vic, but did well to avoid the falling Henri Parry Morgan coming down the hill and then stayed on stoutly for Aidan Coleman. Village Vic gave his usual bold sight but went down by three lengths behind the 20-1 shot. Top Gamble was third.

Curtis said: "That was nice, I was a bit worried as I thought he was on a high-enough mark (149) and I was a bit worried about the ground, but he handled it well enough.

"He jumped really well and came up the hill well. I'm delighted for Carl (Hinchy, owner) as he puts a lot of effort into the yard and if anyone deserves a winner here it's him, it hasn't been without trying.

"He came to us not long after the Galway Plate and we gave him a break until September. You look at him as a National horse as he stays so well, so maybe that's the target."

BACK TO HIS BEST

Whisper narrowly prevailed from Clan Des Obeaux in the Grade 2 BetBright Dipper Novices' Chase.

Nicky Henderson's nine-year-old looked booked for second as Clan Des Obeaux powered into the straight with a three-length lead but he got in tight to the second-last.

That gave Whisper and Davy Russell an opportunity they were not to pass up and despite the odds-on favourite rallying gamely after the last, he could not quite catch the 11-4 winner, who was half a length to the good at the line.

Whisper had been a classy staying hurdler in the past but appeared to have lost his way last season. However, like so many before him he has been nursed back to his best by Henderson.

Russell told ITV Racing: "All credit to Nicky and the team. He jumped great, he knows what he is doing. Dai (Walters, owner) rang me two weeks ago and said it was important I came to ride him again to keep the horse moving forwards. He stayed really well today."

Henderson said: "He's won two Aintree Hurdles and all sorts of races, he's just tough and genuine and is a real friend.

"When these old ones come back it is great. It feels like he has been around a long time, but he is only a novice chaser. He'll have to come into the JLT picture, I think, although he does get three miles. He'll go on any ground and it never worried me running him on the ground today.

"He's a brave little fellow and very genuine. The key question now is whether he has a run before the Festival. He doesn't need to have one."

Paul Nicholls said of the vanquished market leader, who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson: "He just made a mistake at the second-last when he didn't want to. The other horse is a real stayer and our horse will probably be better in a faster-run race. This horse is only five so will definitely have a break and is more of a horse for the future."