Vicente’s owner Trevor Hemmings also saw his colours carried to victory by Cloudy Dream in the Grade 2 Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices’ Chase. The seven-year-old is by Many Clouds’ sire Cloudings but, unlike that ill-fated Aintree hero, is a grey out of Run Away Dream.

Cloudy Dream, 11/4, was far from fluent with his jumping and had to work hard to reach and pass Nicky Henderson’s Theinval. Very well ridden by Brian Hughes, whose exceptional season will see him finish second to Richard Johnson in the jockeys’ championship, Cloudy Dream battled on well to score by two lengths with Oldgrangewood third.

Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Flying Angel was made 7/4 favourite but blundered badly five from home and lost touch.

Cloudy Dream proved that he stays two and a half miles well and winning trainer Malcom Jefferson may aim him at the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

CHESTERFIELD WILL NOT BE DENIED

Paul Nicholls and Sam Twiston-Davies fell marginally short of attaining their own big-race double as Zubayr, having cruised into contention in the Grade 2 QTS Scottish Champion Hurdle, made a minor error at the last and could not contain Chesterfield. The latter was very well ridden by 7lb claimer Daniel Sansom and held on by a short-head with Mohaayed and Vosne Romanee third and fourth.

Chesterfield is Wiltshire trainer Seamus Mullins’ best horse by some margin and had won at the Aintree Grand National meeting; he was defying an 11lb higher mark in this. Clearly progressive, he was taken wide by his 24-year-old rider, who started out as an amateur with Mullins, and the tactics worked well.

Chesterfield was bought cheaply by the trainer at John Ferguson’s dispersal sale, when the latter was asked to concentrate purely on Godolphin matters, and there has been no recurrence of previous leg trouble.

CRAWFORD’S SHADOW GOES ONE BETTER

Co Antrim trainer Stuart Crawford has enjoyed great success with his British raiders and Gilt Shadow, 8/1, gave him further cause for celebration by taking the Ayrshire Hospice Handicap Hurdle in the hands of J J Slevin.

This was a fine piece of training because the nine-year-old had raced only once since finishing runner-up in this race two years ago.

They went no great pace and the son of Beneficial quickened up well to account for Whatduhavtoget by two and a half lengths.