RUBAUD may have made hard work of it, but he was tough the way he won the Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton last Saturday, writes Page Fuller.

He has had a tricky start over fences so far, all in Grade 2 company. He fell when tiring behind Sir Gino at Kempton at Christmas, and then found the slick jumping of L’Eau du Sud too much to lay up with in the Kingmaker next time.