EMMA Lavelle and Tom Bellamy landed their biggest prize since joining forces as their Éclair Surf (146) landed the £100,000 Classic Chase with an exhilarating front-running display. The feature race was not the highlight on the clock as Brave Seasca (157) impressed when accounting for last season’s Grand Annual winner Sky Pirate (150).

The overall race time was by someway the quickest when adjusted for distance and the final circuit analysis shows Brave Seneca to be 3.3secs faster than Threeunderthrufive (150) in the Grade 3 Chase.

Breaking the race down further makes more impressive reading as most of the time difference was achieved from the third last fence as the Venetia Williams-trained gelding posted a closing sectional of 54.9secs which was 2.2secs faster than Threeunderthrufive who clocked 57.1secs for the same ground.

The impression Éclair Surf was slowing at the finish is confirmed by his closing sectional of 66.2secs. However, the split times down the back straight portray how he stamped his authority on the race as he was just 1.5secs slower than the two-mile-chasers over the five fences heading to the home straight.

Punctuation (120+) made a successful stable debut for Fergal O’Brien in the opener and was surprisingly the best on the clock over hurdles. The overall race time was superior to the Grade 2 Novices’ Hurdle and the Pertemps Qualifier won by Sporting John with the final circuit data and closing sectionals endorsing the view. The early pace was the strongest in the novices’ handicap although the leaders paused slightly down the back straight, adding further credibility to the finishing effort of Punctuation who was held up off the pace.

He covered the ground from the third last hurdle in 58.9secs which was 0.7 faster than Sporting John (116) and 4.6secs quicker than Stag Horn (116) who conversely was the closest in terms of circuit time. Stag Horn was the fastest through the section in the back straight so obviously has stamina in abundance and would have no problem stepping up in trip in the future.