AL Dancer maintained his unbeaten record for the season with a decisive victory in the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle at Ascot.

Originally due to be run at Newbury last week before the outbreak of equine flu, the valuable handicap was swiftly re-scheduled – and a strong field of 14 runners faced the starter.

Having already won at Carlisle, Ffos Las and Cheltenham this season, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Al Dancer was the 5/2 favourite in the hands of the trainer’s son Sam – and travelled powerfully throughout the two-mile contest.

He moved to the front jumping the second flight from the finish and picked up strongly on the run-in to prevail by three and three-quarter lengths from Magic Dancer, with largely unconsidered 100/1 shot Blu Cavalier back in third.

Paddy Power cut Al Dancer to 4/1 from 8/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next month, which makes him their joint-favourite – along with Fakir D’Oudairies – for the Festival curtain-raiser.