AT 3/1 favourite in one of the hottest handicap hurdles of the season, Ballyandy was probably short enough on Saturday. However, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies had sounded bullish about his chances in the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle for quite a while and many were more than happy to trust his judgement.

In front at the last, the six-year-old kept on willingly for Sam Twiston-Davies to hold the sustained challenge of Movewiththetimes by three-parts of a length, with Clyne and Song Light claiming the minor honours.

Ballyandy won the Champion Bumper last year but had taken his time over hurdles and looked a shade disappointing until running very well in a Grade 2 novices’ event at Sandown last time. That form had been franked and he looked fairly treated here with 11st 1lb. Twiston-Davies certainly thought so and told the world as much.

Movewiththetimes, in the J.P. McManus colours, was bidding to give Paul Nicholls his first success in the race since Zarkandar five years ago. He was arguably travelling a bit better than the winner as they landed over the last but did not find quite as much and was hanging in towards his rival.

Clyne was comfortably held in third but ran a fine race. He will always be hard to place in handicaps after his excellent third to The New One at Haydock.

The first two were both making their handicap debut and this valuable hurdle tends to favour talented novices. They were both helped by Ballyandy’s stable-companion Ballyhill ensuring a proper test of stamina and both arrived on the scene full of running.

Their paths may diverge now, with Twiston-Davies senior immediately nominating the Supreme Novices’ as Ballyandy’s principal target (he stressed the other options later), while Movewiththetimes will stay the longer trip in the Neptune and also enters calculations in the County Hurdle.

The winning trainer, who also won the Betfair with Splash Of Ginge three years ago, is a godsend to any aspiring scribbler and admitted to relief as well as delight when Ballyandy returned to the unsaddling enclosure.

“We couldn’t understand how he was beaten in his first three races because we thought he was a superstar from his bumper days,” he said. “It takes a special sort of trainer to get him beat but I managed it.”

Of the Irish challengers, Gordon Elliott’s Veinard ran well in sixth and should win a good handicap, but Noel Meade’s De Name Escapes Me was never going with the pace and is surely better than his 12th place suggests.

Favourite backers made a very good start to the afternoon as High Bridge and Tobefair continued their winning ways.

Ben Paulton’s High Bridge made it three out of three over hurdles when taking the opening novices’ event and Debra Hamer’s Tobefair has a remarkable seven on the spin to his name after landing the Betfair Cash Out Handicap Hurdle over three miles.

High Bridge was a solid even-money chance and was always up with the pace. He finally drew clear for talented amateur Mr Alex Ferguson and is fulfilling the potential he showed when sixth in the Champion Bumper last year. Paulton will choose between the two novice hurdles at Cheltenham.

Tobefair, a seven-year-old with the heart of a lion, heads for the Pertemps Final after battling back for Trevor Whelan to outlast Colin Tizzard’s Morello Royale by a length and a half. He was running off a mark 53lb higher than the one which saw him start his splendid sequence in June 2015.

Cheekpieces again seemed to assist David Dennis’ Final Nudge, 5/1, who took the limited handicap chase from Nicky Henderson’s Lessons In Milan, but the former champion trainer won the listed closing bumper with four-year-old filly Daphne Du Clos, who justified 15/8 favouritism. There are mares’ races for her at Sandown and Aintree.

TEA FOR TWO

Exeter staged an attractive card on Sunday and 8/11 favourite Tea For Two is set for a crack at Kempton’s Betbright Handicap Chase after coming home well clear of Henri Parry Morgan in the 188bet.co.uk Graduation Chase over three miles.

He had taken the measure of Colin Tizzard’s much-touted Alary and was a couple of lengths clear when that rival fell heavily three out. Happily he walked away unscathed.

With Carraig Mor also coming down, Tea For Two had only the runner-up to beat but galloped on pleasingly for Lizzie Kelly and deserved this after his good fourth in the King George.

Tizzard will rest Alary for a few days before deciding where to go with the French import, although the Gold Cup is clearly not on the agenda now. The trainer had a mixed day because stable-companion Finian’s Oscar eased home at 1/16 in the listed novices’ hurdle and is well on course for the Neptune at Cheltenham – ante-post favourite in most lists - although Tizzard has yet to confirm the opener on the second day as a definite choice.

It looked a very competitive Pertemps Qualifier but the punters got it right with 11/4 favourite Impulsive Star, who won nicely for the Waley-Cohens, father and son, and looks the right sort for the final off a low weight. If he fails to get in, Neil Mulholland will reroute him to the Albert Bartlett.

Although Perfect Candidate looked slightly outclassed in the Cotswold Chase on Trials Day, he was never in the hunt at all and trainer Fergal O’Brien was mystified. He showed the running to be all wrong by bolting up for Paddy Brennan in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase at 12/1, defying 11st 12lb into the bargain.

Clear-cut Leopardstown winner Quick Grabim came over for what looked a very routine bumper but faded out quickly (at 10/11) behind Tom George’s Air Navigator.

The form had looked solid so maybe he needs to go left-handed or did not take the trip well. He is surely better than this.