PHILIP Hobbs has been in fine form all season and another listed race came his way as Sausalito Sunrise won Ascot’s Appletiser 50 Year Celebration Chase in the hands of Tom O’Brien.

Venetia Williams’ Waldorf Salad led the five-runner field but Vieux Lion Rouge, having recovered from a mistake, seemed to be going best into the closing stages.

However, he was swamped for pace as Sausalito Sunrise hit the front before two out and surged clear to score by a dozen lengths.

The winner has already won over three miles and three furlongs at Cheltenham but the handicapper will make things much harder for him now.

Williams had not taken long to continue her run of Saturday winners as the consistent Yala Enki justified 7/4 favouritism under Aidan Coleman in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle. He battled hard to hold Mr Mix and will no doubt take in the same sponsors’ prestigious hurdle on the second day at the festival as long as there is plenty of cut in the ground.

Mattie Batchelor took his time on 12/1 chance Bangkok Pete, who came from the back to outpoint everything in the near-three mile handicap hurdle, while Hobbs’ Tearsofclewbay, 5/1, underlined the importance of putting up a good claimer on a penalised bumper winner.

Conor Smith, entitled to a 7lb allowance, made every pound count as the Uttoxeter scorer proved too strong for joint-favourites Theatre Territory and Calling Des Blins in the mares’ event.