IT was very much Nigel Twiston-Davies’ day and the ebullient handler completed a big-race double when 4/1 joint-favourite Bristol De Mai ran away with the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase over three miles after The New One had taken the Champion Hurdle Trial. If ever there was a good example of quick, efficient jumping making the difference in a race of this nature, this was it.

Never far off the pace for Daryl Jacob, Bristol De Mai led at the ninth, allowed old rival Otago Trail to take over running to four out but then asserted again, drawing right away in the straight to beat that rival by 22 lengths with Bishop’s Road keeping on steadily in third.

There were various disappointments in the race, the principal one being Colin Tizzard’s French import Alary, who made a mistake early on and dropped out of contention soon after the winner went on for the second time.

Vintage Clouds came down at the third last when beaten and his mishap caused Definitly Red to unseat Henry Brooke, though he was hardly travelling like a winner at the time.

“Bristol De Mai’s jumping was superb all the way round, a joy to watch,” Twiston-Davies enthused. “These days you can settle him anywhere in a race. I’m leaning towards the Gold Cup. Whether it’s impossible to win and whether we’re in the same class at Thistlecrack.”

Bristol De Mai is a proven Grade 1 performer and this was only his second try over three miles. If they regarded The New One’s victory as routine, the layers were more impressed here and generally cut Bristol De Mai to 14/1 for the Gold Cup.

Harry Fry has a very talented novice on his hands in Neon Wolf, who ran out a very clear and impressive winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle.

Maintaining his unbeaten record over hurdies since winning a point to point in Ireland in March, the Vinnie Roe gelding was sent off at 4/5 favourite and went clear for Noel Fehily to score by nine lengths from Eldin.

The trip was just short of two miles and the general assumption was that Neon Wolf would be aimed at the Supreme Novices’ but Fehily, drawing attention to the horse’s stamina, had layers cutting him to 10/1 (from 14s) for the Neptune.

“Harry rarely gets excited about a horse but he’s been excited all week!” he said.

Donald McCain has taken a while to get over the loss of the Rooney horses but passed 1,000 winners recently and saddled Ubaltique to win the two-mile handicap chase for the second year in a row. The in-form Will Kennedy was in the saddle.